By Our Blades
by Lord Voldios
Summary: Based in the Monster Hunter world. Re-edit in progress.
1. Training Test

**Written on a lark with a fellow hunter. Rated T for violence and slight language. I do not own Monster Hunter.**

* * *

The desert was silent, save for the occasional dry rustle of hot wind against sandy hills. Only a few sparse dunes broke up the monotony of the arid plane. Near the center of this plain was a large jutting stone formation, a crag where buzzards might take roost before feasting on an unfortunate victim of the merciless sun. It was at the very top of this crag that Sigurd scanned the desert for his prey.

His legs ached from the half crouch the spire demanded so he could keep his balance and the sun was baking him in his scaled armor. Taking the binoculars from his face he plucked a Cold Drink from his pouch and quickly downed it, sighing as the liquid sent a chill down his spine.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead he brought the binoculars to focus on the bait once again. The dead Kelbi, only a few meters away, lay for what seemed like days although it had only been a few hours.

"Hey! Sigurd!" Called a voice from below. "Anything yet?"

He looked down at the two hunters who were positioned in the shade of the formation to avoid detection from their prey. Through the binoculars he could see the trainees as vividly as if they were a few feet away from him.

The female who had called him, was a young, headstrong, reckless little thing. Be that as it was she was nigh untouchable when her steel twin blades met a foe. Her armor complimented her style, but while it was easy to move around in the leather plates offered very little protection.

"Nothing yet Cassandra," He called back, eliciting a groan from the female. "Have patience, hunts can usually last for weeks on end. We've only been here for half a day."

"But I'm boooored," Whined Cassandra. "Can't we kill some Apceros? I'm sure it would be better than having one tiny Kelbi, and I heard they flourish in the oases around this area."

Before Sigurd could scold her about the necessities of killing, a steel gauntlet landed on the girl's thin shoulder. The other hunter who had previously been staring holes in the sand stood to address her.

"We can't go, because if we do Sigurd will be here all alone," He drawled. "And if he's here all alone then he has a higher chance of getting killed. If we stick together then we can finish the contract easier than if Sigurd was here by himself, I think."

Cassandra heaved a sigh, rolled her eyes, and leaned back against the spire with her arms crossed.

"Whatever, Bright…" She grumbled.

The second hunter simply shrugged and resumed staring at the sand as if there had been no interruption. Sigurd didn't know the armor encased hunters real name only his nickname, Bright. The name stuck from the Hunting Academy because of the ponderously slow manner in which he spoke, the dazes he would often fall into and his hulking size, which his peers mistook as the signs of a brutish idiot.

Sigurd glanced at the large bone lance harnessed to his back from above and whistled softly, impressed. He himself had attempted to master the lance as was required but the academy. For him the lance was unwieldy and he lacked the kind of focus required to chip away at a target little by little. Not to mention the shield, which threw off his aim aiming with its sheer weight.

To be a lancer one needed strength, balance and a certain calm that the newer hunters seemed to be lacking these days. In addition to having all these qualities at such a young age, Bright was also an exceptional tracker.

Returning to his vigil the trainer frowned at a black smudge in the distance and looked through his binoculars. Sigurd's heart rate immediately picked up. A giant black fin sliced through the sands heading purposefully in their direction. He dropped a loose stone to get the other hunters attention and gestured for them to get into position.

Silently, Bright and Cassandra both moved as closed to the edge of the shade as they dared, ready to spring out at a moments notice. Sigurd himself pulled a sonic bomb from his pouch and placed it next to his foot. He glanced at the horizon again and grinned. It was so close now that he could see it without the binoculars. Sigurd gripped the folded Arbalest on his back and swung it out, connecting the two halves with a loud _click!_

The cannon was particularly modified to Sigurd's gunning style, which was to make as big a hole as possible while still retaining mobility. The glare from the metal barrel wouldn't let him use it's scope but he hardly needed it. He would have a clear shot.

Sigurd could hear the sand hissing in the wake of the creatures black fin. He plotted a vague arc in his head and when it was only a few feet from the dead Kelbi, he punted the sonic bomb.

"Brace yourselves!"

A screech pierced the air as the bomb detonated directly in front of the beast. The Cephadrome burst from the ground in a geyser of sand, emitting a pained shriek. Bright spun out from behind the crag, lowered his lance, and charged in. The beast crashed onto the sand and was almost immediately pierced in the side. Startled by the sudden pain the sand shark flailed and whipped its body around in a blind attempt to strike the offender.

Cassandra sprinted toward the fallen monster while Bright hopped back, narrowly avoiding a tail to the chest. With all the grace and swiftness of a dancer, the female hunter flowed around the thrashing beast, it's thick scaled hide accumulating more gashes with each passing second. Suddenly the Cephadrome ceased its thrashing and flopped onto its stomach where it slithered toward the base of the crag and regained its footing.

It was easily as tall as two men from hip to foot, and as long as five. The Cephadrome's arrow shaped head swiveled from the neck, beady black eyes searching for the enemy. Bright charged once again with Cassandra shadowing him as the beast snapped its head in their direction. Turning to face them, the monster reared back and shot a blast of sand that could strip flesh from bone.

Bright skidded to a stop and brought his shield up just in time for the impact of the projectile to push him back a few feet. Cassandra darted out from behind him and barely ducked under the monsters broad tail as it swung in an attempt to bat her back.

Just as she began slicing into its thick thigh, a blast nearly rocked the Cephadrome off of its feet. Sigurd aimed and fired another Cluster Shot from the cannon, staggering it once again. Before he could eject the spent shells the monster slammed the spire with a hip check.

Sigurd hastily attempted to keep his balance as the cracking formation tilted backwards slowly. His stomach did flips when he felt the momentum suddenly pick up, feet leaving the stone for the barest of seconds. Instinct suddenly kicked in and he kicked away mere seconds before the stone hit ground.

Sigurd watched a curiously inverted Bright nail the Cephadrome with a paintball as it speared through the air and dove back into the sands.

A thunderous crash echoed around the desert as the stone spire struck the ground, sending a billowing cloud of grit everywhere. Sigurd landed on his back roughly, bounced and rolled a bit before coming to a rest. A quick mental inventory informed him that he was bruised but otherwise okay. Shakily regaining his footing, Sigurd stared at the fallen monolith.

"So strong…"

His daze was broken as Cassandra came laughing to his side, followed by Bright who also had a smile on his wide face. Both their eyes glowed with the excitement of battle.

"That was insane!" Cassandra exclaimed, gesturing wildly. "Bright was all _stab, stab, stab_! And you were all _Kaboom!_ And did you see how I ran in and-" she swung her swords but a look from Sigurd made he sheathe them. She continued undaunted.

"And it _still_ didn't go down! How do you think they do more dangerous hunts than this alone?"

"They? You mean the Royals right?" Bright inquired.

"Well you have to remember that most of the Royals were trained outside of the Academy and Guild territory. For them hunting isn't just a job, it's a way of life. _'By Our blades, the hunters become the hunted,'"_ Sigurd said, quoting the Guild motto. "As for normal day-to-day hunters like us, we'll just have to work together."

Bright produced a map and sniffed the air as a breeze blew in their direction. Cassandra took the time to sharpen her blades and Sigurd carefully reloaded his Arbalest. A short while later Bright pointed to a spot on the map.

"There's an oasis about a half mile from here, inside of a gorge. I think it went in that direction. If we go now, we can finish the quest before nightfall."

Sigurd nodded slowly, checked the bandolier slung across his chest and placed a hand on his Arbalest, finding reassurance in the worn wood.

Cassandra tightened a strap on her leather armor and jumped in place like a fighter preparing for the finale.

Bright stared in the direction of the gorge and their prey, a far away look in his eyes.

Without another word Sigurd took off towards the gorge, ready to bring the hunt to a close.

* * *

The bottom of the ravine was cool, shaded and surrounded by dark rocky walls. The dim strip of sky overhead seemed very far away in the dank place. The sandy slope that served as the only entrance doubled as the only exit as well. A clean oasis pooled at the far side of the wide gorge. It was in the center of all this that the Cephadrome slept, recuperating after it's hasty retreat.

Sigurd lead the trainees as they silently made their way inside the gorge. With a gesture the other two stopped behind him, awaiting instruction on how to handle such a delicate situation. After a minute of thought, Sigurd turned to them.

"Get as close to the walls as possible. I'll fire at the legs and try it knock it down. Bright go for the neck, head and throat. Cassandra make sure it's too busy to get up and counter attack."

Without another word the three took their positions. Watching the others from the darkest area, Sigurd was amazed at how well Bright and Cassandra had absorbed their training. Moving with nearly no sound, tracking, and other hunting skills that had previously been out of their grasp were now as easy as breathing.. He allowed himself a small, proud smile at their expense despite the tense situation.

Cassandra and Bright gestured when they were in position. Nodding, Sigurd carefully took a few volatile 'Crag Shot' from his bandolier and unfolded his Arbalest, successfully muffling the unavoidable _clink_.. After tentatively loading the rounds and taking a few deep breaths he trained his sights on the prey.

"Say goodbye…" he whispered grimly

From out of nowhere, an ear shattering roar blasted into the gorge. It was a single blood-chilling note that pierced the air and reverberated against the walls. Sigurd immediately dropped the cannon and slammed both hands against his ears. Due to the sensitive nature of the rounds contained within, the cannon fired as soon as it hit the ground.

The shot went wide, completely missing the startled Cephadrome and clipping Bright's shield. The small impact was enough to ignite the round, and an enormous fireball threw Bright clear across the gorge and into the oasis. In an attempt to cover her comrade's mistake, Cassandra ran in just as the awakened beast turned towards Sigurd.

"Cassandra, move!" the gunner screamed.

Unfortunately the Cephadrome's tail hit her faster than his words. It flung her a good few yards before she came to a skidding stop, moaning in pain. For a moment Sigurd could only stare open-mouthed at the tableau. The sound of a rasping choke snapped him out of his shock and he leaped to the side just as a blast of sand exploded where he previously stood.

Acting on pure instinct Sigurd lunged toward his gun, picked it up and took off running. The Cephadrome turned and blasted another gout of sand at him, which he narrowly dodged. Before it could rear back again Sigurd spun and fired from the hip.

Unbraced, the recoil was astounding. His arms were nearly torn from their sockets as the cannon pushed him back a few inches. The bullet hit the monster's thigh and a huge explosion blossomed from the contact. A shriek of pain filled the air as the force of the explosion knocked the wyvern clean off it's feet. When the smoke cleared, Sigurd could see muscle and bone exposed in a deep gaping wound.

Flailing in pain the Cephadrome attempted to regain its footing, but as it put weight on its maimed leg it shrieked again and toppled over. Sigurd quickly braced himself and fired again, recoil pushing him back and shaking his skeleton. Another deafening explosion rocked the gorge as the Cephadrome's diamond shaped head was engulfed in a ball of flames. With a final shriek of protest against the cold grip of death, the Cephadrome's ruined head slammed against the sandy ground with a final crash.

The silence after the battle was just a deafening as the roars of monsters and explosions before it. Sigurd dropped his Arbalest, fell on shaking knees and immediately vomited. He was glad the others couldn't see him like this, succumbing to his nerves. It was unbecoming of any Trainer to lose their nerve, even one as young as Sigurd.

After regurgitating most of his lunch and eliciting only dry heaves, the hunter dug around in his pouch for one of the small herbal remedies that he usually carried around with him. Downing the potion to relieve his churning stomach and take the edge off of his aches, he unsteadily got to his feet and walked over to where Cassandra lay.

He knelt before her prone form. Her short hair was spread around her head like a curtain and she was breathing steadily. She would have a terrible headache and feel like a living bruise but ultimately be alright. After a second of thought he pulled off one of his gloves and slapped her across the face. She immediately wakened and swung her blade before her, as if trying to fend off an imagined enemy.

"Wha-Sigurd?" She rubbed her neck and winced. "Owwwww...What happened?"

"You got hit hard." Replied Sigurd, handing her his spare potion. "Don't worry about the Cephadrome. I managed to kill it."

Cassandra downed the potion and looked at the carcass, her face a mix of jealousy and awe. After a moment of silence, she gasped.

"Wait! What about Bright?" Her eyes went wide. "He got_ blown up_!"

A loud sloshing noise from the oasis caught their attention as a thoroughly soaked Bright emerged from the water. His shield had a large chunk missing where the round had hit it. Nonetheless Sigurd noticed that his expression wasn't angry just longsuffering.

"You owe me another shield," Said Bright, sighing.

Sigurd smiled and nodded, happy that his comrade was more or less unhurt and not upset at him over the accident. The trio made their way over to the dead Cephadrome and began the rewarding, albeit tedious, task of carving off anything of use. Scales, teeth, bones, anything of value that they could carry with them they sliced off the dead sand shark. As they cleaned the bloody parts in the oasis, a thought occurred to Sigurd.

"I wonder what that roar was, the one that woke up the Cephadrome."

"I don't know for sure but it sounded big...really big." Bight noted.

"Yeah, and with all the noise Sigurd made, between the explosions and the Cephadrome itself, its sure to attract-"

The hairs on the back of Sigurd's neck stood on end. Instinctively, Sigurd jumped to his feet and scanned the cave, his senses screaming danger. Cassandra and Bright stared at him in confusion and alarm. After a few seconds of silence, he relaxed slightly and gathered up the damp monster bits.

"We should get out of here." intoned Sigurd. "Now."

Arms laden, the three made their way past the carcass and quickly headed toward the exit. Before they could mount the sandy slope, an rumble shook the gorge like a mini-earthquake. Sigurd's eyes widened as the sand bulged beneath their feet. Before any of them could react, an enormous crimson spike lanced through the sands flinging the hunters into the air as if they were rag dolls.

The horn was quickly followed by a plated head and torso. Sand colored spikes jutted where its armor ended as the creature got heavily to its feet. It was gigantic, easily dwarfing the Cephadrome with its sheer bulk. The Monoblos shook its head and screamed at the heavens, stunning the recovering hunters with its terrible visage.

"Sigurd...wha...what is that?" whimpered Cassandra. "What are we gonna do?"

Sigurd was on the verge of panic himself, having never hunted anything bigger than a Rathalos before. The Monoblos was clearly out of their league. However, his experience as a Hunter Trainer helped him maintain an analytic calm. The Monoblos had flung them to the lip of the oasis with the Cephadrome corpse between them and it. A vague escape plan formed in his head as he eyed the horned beast.

"Don't make any sudden movements." whispered Sigurd. "Circle around slowly with me and don't advance in any way. Maybe...if we're lucky...it'll go for the body while we escape."

The Monoblos growled darkly as they sidestepped towards the exit. With a heavy step it too began to circle, maintaining its position opposite them. A few tense seconds passed as they maintained this tentative dance, each scanning the other for the slightest shift in movement. Just as they reached the mouth of the gorge, Bright's foot caught on a rock and he stumbled.

The air changed and Sigurd noticed a slight shift in the creatures stance. With a fierce roar of bloodlust, the Monoblos lowered its horn and charged. The hunters scattered as it stormed through where they were previously standing. Regrouping once again with a pissed monster blocking the exit, they were officially in deep shit.

"We cant take this thing!" Sigurd shouted, shrill with fear."Maybe if we-"

The Monoblos was preparing another attempt to gore them when the wall next to it exploded outward with a deafening crash. Through the smoke and dust Sigurd glimpsed a yellow-blue bulk slamming into the horned beast. An audible snapping of bones resounded as the Monoblos was crushed against the opposite wall from the force of the impact. When the dust settled a quadrupedal monster with slavering jaws towered over the mangled Monoblos. It seemed to emanate a thick aura of predatory blood lust.

"T-t-tigrex..." stuttered Cassandra.

Sigurds legs buckled. He had heard of the Tigrex from the more experienced hunters who barely survived encounters themselves. Horror stories about its exceedingly destructive tendencies and the terrible swiftness with which it attacked. People killed by Tigrex usually suffered horribly before succumbing to their wounds. The Hunters Guild advised a swift retreat for an encounter with such a beast. Even the Royals were skittish about hunting these fiends.

Glancing back at the trainees, the Trainer knew they in no condition to even consider fighting. Bright was staring at the beast with glazed eyes and his plate armor rattled slightly. Cassandras usually rosy complexion was deathly pale and she was practically hyper ventilating. .

However, Sigurd noticed that instead of fierce it looked more...wary, afraid even. Upon careful inspection he saw that its claws were a cracked, bloody mess and its skull was decorated by a huge gash. Whats more the wounds were still bleeding!

Then it dawned on him. Someone or something was clearly been hunting this creature and had driven it into the gorge! The fiend turned in place, warily glancing at the sloping entrance and surrounding walls limping ever so lightly, validating his suspicion. Maybe...just maybe they could escape with their lives!

And then its piercing blue eyes settled on them. Sigurd's breath caught in his chest. Piercing blue transformed into burning crimson as blood filled its irises. Ichor pounded under its skin, making the veins on its fore claws bulge. In a split second it turned from prey into predator, and the overall effect was simply terrifying to behold. Tigrex rushed at them roaring, it's foaming jaws and razor teeth primed for the kill.

Time seemed to slow down as Sigurd's mind raced. There was no way he could avoid the Tigrex's path but Cassandra and Bright could. With a grim smile he knew that he was most likely going to die but he wouldn't dare get the others killed with him. His duty as a Hunter Trainer required him to protect all Guild assets and he was determined to save their lives, even at the cost of his own.

Before he could order them to run something caught him completely off guard. Against all odds, a rock about the size of a fist traveled in a slow intentional arc and clicked off the Tigrex's skull. In an impressive show of dexterity the Tigrex planted a claw and used its momentum swung around and snarl at the entrance. Sigurd was startled as a calm, confident voice echoed into the gorge.

"Hey Tigrex? You in here?"

Baffled to say the least, Sigurd noticed that the Tigrex shrank against the wall and snapped it's jaws. The source of the voice came from a man who casually strutted into the gorge. Sigurd had to avert his eyes as the man seemed to be encased in a corona of light. As he proceeded further into the cave, Sigurd noticed that he was wearing a silvery scaled mail which reflected light into the dank gorge, illuminating it with his mere presence. The face of his spiked helmet was up, revealing friendly green eyes and an easy smile that lit up his deeply tanned face.

"So here I find you," the man scolded. "I thought you would've left the desert altogether after the hurting we put on you. But it seems your pretty set on not leaving. Pity."

On the last word he drew a sword from its sheath across his back. The silvery scaled hilt was long yet simple, the cross guard jutting out like spines. The single-edged blade was as long as the man was tall, with a silvery gray flowing design down the side. With a flourish the man settled into a low stance. The Tigrex hissed and charged the gleaming warrior.

Narrowly avoiding a claw to the head the man spun out of the way and brought the blade across the monsters side, using its own momentum to cutt a deep gash from shoulder to tail. The fiend roared and collapsed onto its chest as the hunter turned and approached it slowly, easy smile transforming into a savage grin.

"Who is this guy?" breathed Sigurd in awe.

Cassandra, having regained herself slightly, stared for a second then uttered a startled gasp.

"That armor!" she exclaimed, her hands flying to her mouth. "I recognize it! Made from the Silver Rathalos! And that long sword, Camellia!"

"It's Seid..." Bright whispered in awe. "The Silver King... one of the Ten Royals"

Sigurd could only watch in awe as the Royal deftly dodged a claw meant to crush him and sliced into its arm, spraying a gout of blood into the air. The Tigrex roared and countered, trying to bite him, but Seid had already ducked to the side and gashed its thigh. A shriek of pain pierced the air and the hunter hopped back. Seid ran to its tail and hacked into it with a tremendous overhead blow. The blade bit deep into the monster's flesh and after three strokes the appendage flew off, causing the Tigrex to roar in agony.

Dragging itself a few feet from the hunter, the beast recovered itself and faced its foe. With all the speed and fury of a proud cornered animal the Tigrex charged. The Silver King faced the beast, sword still drawn but his stance was more relaxed that the dire situation warranted. Realizing that he was not going to defend himself or dodge, Sigurd bellowed.

"Wha-What are you doing! _Run!_"

The hunter didn't even flinch as the enraged beast thundered toward him, surprisingly swift for its grave condition. Sigurd suddenly noticed a whistling noise like air rushing over...A long curved blade that pierced the beast through the top of its skull, followed by a hunter who had his entire body weight behind it. The Tigrex came to a slamming halt as the sword pinned it to the ground scant inches from Seid.

Sigurd looked from the fallen hunter, to the ribbon of sky and back to the hunter. Apparently the hunter had jumped into the gorge and fell with enough accuracy to nail a moving target in the _head_. If he had been even a second too late... Nearly overwhelmed with awe, he could only watch mouth agape as Seid placed the Camellia back into its sheath and address the other hunter.

"Oi! Its about damn time you got here, Dante." Seid said indignantly. "And what the hell were you thinking, jumping off that cliff? Couldn't you have found a faster way down?"

Dante hadn't yet moved from atop the Tigrex's head. Viciously he twisted his blade inside the skull and tore it out. Stepping down from the carcass, he glanced at Sigurd and his group and they collectively caught their breath.

Dante's eyes were like bottomless black pools; unreadable, blank, dead. His raven black hair was a waterfall about his shoulders, kicked back at the forehead by a black and orange headband. His armor was vaguely reminiscent of a Tigrex, the brilliant blues clashing against the golden yellows. Sigurd noticed faint traces of electricity playing off its edge as Dante sheathed his blade.

"Trouble in the canyon," Dante's flat tone that matched his appearance perfectly. "I had to climb the rocks after I got knocked off by that Monoblos that attacked us. I trust that you're unharmed?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you..." Seid growled. "Show off bastard. We could've killed this one weeks ago in the mountains..."

"I miscalculated. I thought that it we had enough provisions, but then that blizzard hit..."

"Well at least this is the last one. I can see why Vindel came to you for help. Beasties were more vicious than usual."

Dante snorted and crossed his arms. "They were no more vicious than the other ones we've hunted. I fail to see why the Guild frets over them so much."

"Its like they don't even know we exist..." whispered Cassandra.

"You don't have to whisper." replied Sigurd pacing over to where the other hunters stood. After sharing a glance, Bright and Cassandra tentatively followed.

"Thank You, Ashvelt Silver King." Said Sigurd, bowing. "Were it not for you and your companion, we would have been dead. We are in your debt. I am Sigurd, a Hunter Trainer on a ranking hunt with Trainees Cassandra and Bright."

"Huh?" Seid blinked in surprise. "Oh...uh don't worry about it. It was our fault you were attacked in the first place," The Royal smiled with genuine warmth. "And please drop the formalities, that 'Ashvelt' honorific crap; I'm not your boss or anything. In the field we are equals, you know? Just call me Seid."

"Respectfully sir, if that beast hadn't come the Monoblos would've certainly gotten us first." added Bright.

"Yeahthanksalot..." blurted Cassandra.

"Well, you should probably thank Dante. He's the one who killed the Tigrex and did most of the work. I just came on the hunt to stretch my legs." said Seid, gesturing to his comrade.

"Dante...Tyrant Slayer, right? Aren't you a Royal?" asked Bright.

"Not quite. I am the fifth rank of hunter, one below the Royals. However I serve as Seid's hunting partner and Second when performing Guild duties."

Sigurd was taken aback by how..._normal_ they were. He had heard of the Royals of course, **every** Hunter knew about the Royals. Ten elite hunters who individually killed countless monsters and were honored by the Guild for their service. They were the celebrities of the Guild, wherever they went, epic stories of their bravery and power spread like wildfire. Hearing such stories and being so skilled, Sigurd had assumed that they never payed attention to any of the lower rank hunters and would treat them like shit if they did.

The sound of fluid draining brought Sigurd from his reverie. Dante was over by the Tigrex corpse, spreading an acrid smelling fluid over its body. His face was all grim determination, not one drop was wasted. When the bottle was empty he corked it and fastened it to his tasset.

"What did he spread over the Tigrex?" asked Cassandra. "He's not going to take the carves?"

"Dante hates Tigrex's." Seid shrugged. "He has a...personal vendetta against them. The armor he wears, his Tigrex mail, is more of an insult than actual protective armor. If any Tigrex show up in Guild territory he's the first to run after it. As for the contents of the bottle...just watch."

An acrid stench suddenly filled the air making Sigurd's eyes water. The Tigrex corpse dissolved rapidly, its scales and flesh turning into a viscous sludge before their eyes. In a few only moments all that was left was a pitted skeleton and a thick brown sludge.

"All done?" asked Seid

Dante nodded but the frown was still on his face.

"Well since we're done the contract we have to find Vindel's encampment before nightfall," Seid said, walking away. "The desert gets a bit treacherous at night."

"I've also finished Cassandra and Brights assessment. Can we accompany you to the encampment and from there to Dondruma?" asked Sigurd. "I still have to attend to my duties and report the Guild."

"Yeah, sure. I needed to go to the capitol anyway." said Seid casually.

"It's getting dark." stated Dante, who turned to leave as well.

And without a single glance back at the gorge, they all walked into the dying sunlight.

* * *

**So the first order of business is an apology. I wont make excuses. I could have worked on BOB between college classes but I didn't because I was lazy and honestly lost interest. I really shafted my fans and for that I am genuinely sorry.**

**Second, I am revising BOB from the top all the way to the finish; fixing spelling mistakes, style errors, and changing inconsistencies that show up later on. All the writing classes I suffered through will hopefully make a more entertaining story for you guys. At any rate, I think it's about time to bring back the founding fic of the Monster Hunter genre. **

**Lastly I just want to thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. Night of Desert Storms

**Written on a lark with a fellow hunter. I do not own Monster Hunter.**

* * *

The blistering heat of the day gradually gave way to the freezing temperatures of the night. Guided by the desert moon, the small troupe of hunters marched across the luminous wasteland. Although the sight was beautiful, the night was infamously more hazardous than the day. Keeping this in mind all of the hunters kept their weapons close at hand.

"Where are we going?" Cassandra chattered, hugging herself.

"We're headed for Fort Eden." Responded Seid, handing her a hot drink

"Thanks…" she said blushing slightly. She gulped it down and immediately stopped shivering. The trainee smiled and flexed her warmed fingers. "Much better."

"By the way, what were you three going to do for the night after you finished your hunt?" asked Seid over his shoulder.

"Well," began Sigurd. "We were most likely going to go to a plateau that we spotted earlier and set up camp. It was entirely rock so no Cephalos would be able to take us by surprise while we slept."

The Royal and his second shared a glance. A small chuckle escaped Seid and brief smirk flitted across Dante's normally unflinching face. The trainer gave them both a confused look as Seid turned to address him.

"A pretty decent plan…except you forgot one small detail."

"Cephalos sleep on plateaus at night, hundreds at a time" said Dante. "The sun heats the rocks all day so the packs sleep on them to stay warm at night."

"Yeah," Seid agreed cheerfully. "You woulda probably been torn apart by the arriving Cephalos while you slept. A good thing we showed up, huh?"

While Seid laughed good-naturedly, Sigurd glanced down in embarrassment. As the leader of his small hunting party and as a Trainer, he should've known more about the environment that he was taking them into. It was often small details that separated success from failure, life from death. Even though he was the youngest certified Hunter Trainer in the Guild he still had a lot to learn. Sigurd stumbled as Seid smacked him on the back, still chuckling.

"Aw don't look so glum. Everyone makes mistakes. You learn something new every day, right?"

The trainer allowed himself a small smile, infected by Seid's optimism.

"What exactly is Fort Eden?" inquired Bright.

"It is the second largest fortress in Guild territory, aside from Fort Lao-Shan." Dante replied. "Fort Eden is also the base of the Desert Rose hunters, lead by Ashvelt Sandstorm and his second-in-command, Ashvelt Bloodhorn.

"We're going to see _more_ Royals?" gasped Cassandra.

"They're probably nothing like Seid and Dante though." Sigurd said. "I've heard a lot of bad rumors about Ashvelt Sandstorm and Ashvelt Bloodhorn. Like how they torture and mutilate monsters before they kill them."

"That's horrible." whispered Bright.

"Well Vindel's not that bad once you get to know him. I mean, yeah, he's sadistic, brutal and just plain old mean, but he does have a soft spot for all the members in his group." Seid shrugged. "Outside of that he's just about as welcoming as his namesake."

"If he's a Royal and he has a group, then do you have a group as well?" asked Cassandra.

"Seid is the leader of the Dragon Fang hunters." Dante said, a hint of pride in his voice "The best hunter group on the continent."

"Yeah, I guess so." responded Seid. "But just because we've never failed a hunt doesn't mean that we're perfect. To be completely honest, everyone but Dante and our blacksmith is pitifully lazy."

"After collecting our reward we are headed for the city to reunite with our comrades." continued Dante. "Seid and I have been absent longer than previously anticipated and they're probably very worried."

"But we'll see you off first, like we promised." Seid added.

"Ummm...If you have a group then do you need new members?" hazarded Cassandra. "Could I join the Dragon Fang?"

Seid turned around and gave her an appraising stare. Not bothering to be polite or reserved, he let his eyes rove over her. After a few moments she began to fidget and blush at the intensity of his scrutiny. Eventually though he gave her a small sad smile.

"Sorry, but you're way too inexperienced to join us. Go on more hunts, pick up some skills, make a name for yourself. Then maybe when you've reached the fourth hunter rank we'll talk. As you are, a first rank hunter trainee, I can't accept you."

Cassandra deflated, disappointed at being put down so quickly. Bright's posture sagged as well, he had been wondering the same thing. An awkward pall descended on the group. Not wanting to travel under such conditions, Sigurd quickly cleared his throat.

"How much farther do we have to go?"

"Just past the oasis over there." stated Dante, pointing to a patch of vegetation.

Bringing out his binoculars, Sigurd scanned the area around the oasis. The desert plants obscured the pool itself. He could vaguely make out the glow of fire light coming from behind a large dune that towered over the oasis, forming a miniature valley. For a second, he thought he saw a flicker of movement from behind one of the tall bushes.

"We should hurry," Dante advised, picking up the pace. "Nocturnal monsters often wait for prey around oases."

"Yeah," Seid remarked. "It's usually only bottom feeders. However with the luck you guys have had so far, I don't want to take the chance of it being something _really_ annoying."

Dismissing what he saw as a trick of the light, Sigurd jogged with the group toward the oasis. They had just reached to the foot of the large dune when the hair on the Trainers neck spiked. Swiftly he turned toward the pool, hand on Arbalest, ready to blast any ambush into oblivion. The only movement came from the plants that rustled in the breeze. Sigurd relaxed, but noticed Seid and Dante staring at him.

Dante frowned. "You felt it too?"

"Felt what?" asked Bright. "I didn't feel anything."

"Neither did I." Cassandra added.

Still keeping his eyes on Sigurd, Seid knelt and placed his palm on the sand. After a few seconds, he stood and addressed Dante.

"Fifteen...No, maybe twenty."

Without another word Dante unsheathed his sword. Taking the hint Cassandra and Bright also brought their weapons to bear. Sigurd unfolded his cannon and loaded a round of normal bullets. They maneuvered themselves in a tight circle near the oasis, ready from every angle. Seid produced a large sonic bomb from one of his pockets, but the Trainer shook his head.

"I'm sure that trick only works with the Cephadrome. We'll just have to wai-"

The Silver King casually tossed the sonic bomb at his feet. Sigurd flinched when the bomb detonated, longer and louder than any he'd ever heard. Large plumes of sand exploded around the group as several Cephalos hurled themselves skyward. They all fell at the same time showering the hunters with grit and sand as they thrashed wildly. Seid smirked at Sigurd's stunned expression before drawing his own sword.

"You have a lot to learn."

Sigurd's attention was brought back to the current situation by a rasping choke coming from his periphery. He was about to duck to the side when Bright materialized and took the impact of the sand blast on his shield. Not missing a beat, Sigurd rolled from behind the lancer and fired off a quick volley of bullets. The beast fell under the barrage but was quickly replaced by another.

Gritting his teeth, Bright took a heavy step forward, planted his feet, and thrust his lance toward the monsters pointed head. The lance went all the way through with a wet squelching sound, spraying him with dark blood. Before the trainee could remove his weapon a tail blindsided him, ripping his lance from the falling corpse and flinging him a few feet away. Sigurd went to aid his ward but was blocked by another Cephalos.

Before he could fire a shot, a small sword whipped under the beasts head. The fleshy, unscaled patch gave way to the blade as blood spilled from its throat onto the sand. The Cephalos gurgled once and fell on top of the other fallen wyverns. Cassandra flicked the blood off of her blades and offered Bright her hand. Shaking his head, the lancer took the hand and nodded toward a group of approaching fins that parted the sands. Before joining them, Sigurd cast a glance back at the remaining two hunters.

Back to back, the royal and his second were surrounded by a score of dead wyverns. Their singing blades reflected the moonlight and each stroke met its intended target with deadly accuracy. A fast approaching fin caused Dante to break away and thrust his blade halfway into the ground. With the lower half braced against his foot, he easily absorbed the impact as the Cephalos slammed into his blade, darkening the sand. Another Cephalos launched itself at him, jaws wide. Unblinking he ducked, flicked his blade up and caught it beneath the jaw, its own momentum to split it from throat to tail. The monsters intestines dropped into a steaming trail before it crashed, twitching atop the sands.

With his back undefended Seid launched into a blinding whirlwind of attacks, his offense overcoming any need for a defense. One of the monsters shrieked and fell after its leg had been completely severed before being silenced by a swift downstroke which led into an upstroke behind him, splitting the head of another. The attacks blended seamlessly together, a trail of death that was only made more unnerving by the savage grin that distorted Seid's normally serene features. A shiver crawled up Sigurd's spine. This wasn't the same man who made light of being one of the most powerful hunters in the Guild.

"Sigurd!"

The trainer focused on his trainees, who were engaging three Cephalos and quickly being surrounded by more. Sigurd focused once again and fired several rounds at the Cephalos, distracting them enough so that they could be dispatched with more ease. Just as they started to believe that they could stem the tide, an enormous horn burst from the sand between Bright and Cassandra. Both of the trainees danced back as the horn rose into a what appeared to be the hollow skull of a Monoblos.

Two large shield-like claws emerged and four long legs lifted the bulk of the skull. The large carpaceon gurgled and swiped a giant pincer, taking a meaty chunk out of the nearest wyvern and eating greedily. The Cephalos flopped helplessly onto the ground as the Daimyo Hermitaur continued to gorge on the fallen beast. Halfway through its meal the giant carpaceon noticed Bright and Cassandra who were still engaging the few Cephalos that remained. With a lurching gait, the Hermitaur stalked over to the hunters.

While preparing a volley of Cluster Shot, Sigurd caught another flicker of movement in the foliage of the oasis. Before he could react, a sharp twang followed by a whistling projectile flew from a particularly dense bush. The Cephalos nearest Cassandra suddenly squealed and fell, a single arrow protruding from its eye. Startled by the unexpected death, Cassandra failed to notice the Daimyo Hermitaur towering behind her, claw raised. Bright shouted her name as the pincer descended. The trainee ducked and covered her head with her arms, preparing for the pain.

A second passed...then another.

Cassandra opened her eyes. Above her the claw was caught at the base of the pincer by a crimson scythe, held in one hand by a hunter. The hunter cut an imposing figure encased in a large, horned heavy-looking suit of armor. An enormous crimson spike jutted from the helmet and the face guard was down. He held the scythe over his shoulder, weapon trembling with the effort of holding the jagged claw.

"You alright?" The voice was gruff and obviously masculine

Cassandra could only nod and stare. The hunter nodded in return and gripped the curved staff with his other hand. Pivoting beneath the scythe, he wedged the blade between the large fore claw and lower pincer and pushed upward. After a resounding snap the Hermitaur emitted a pained gurgle and scuttled backward toward the pool cradling its cracked claw. The hunter stood tall between the monster and Cassandra, scythe slung over his shoulder casually the blade glimmering in the moonlight.

"Its about time you got here Merquel." said a bored-sounding voice. "I thought you were going to hide by the oasis all night."

Seid strolled toward the hunter trailed by Dante and Sigurd. He sheathed his blade and crossed his arms, frowning slightly. The other hunter turned his helmed head toward the Royal.

"Me? Hide? Ha!" barked Merquel. "I broke sentry duty to save your friend, and you call me a coward? I should've just let her die if I knew you were going to be so ungrateful about it."

Bright leveled his lance at the hunter, glaring. "Don't talk about my friend like that."

Merquel looked sidelong at the trainee and snorted, batting aside the pointed tip.

"Watch what you say to a royal, first rank. You might get hurt." The scorn in his voice was palpable.

While the two hunters stared each other down, the Hermitaur recovered and a froth appeared around its mandibles. Gurgling angrily, claws raised, the carpaceon lurched toward the them.

Another arrow whizzed through the air and bounced off the Monoblos skull. The enraged crab did 180 and raise its pincers threateningly toward the dense foliage. As if in response a thin whining sound, like the wings of a Vespoid, radiated from the dense brush. The Diamyo Hermitaur hissed and lurched forward, claw snapping with anticipation. The whine doubled in volume and depth, transforming into a fierce growl. The giant carpaceon towered over the brush and lifted its cracked claw for a powerful swipe. As the claw descended the growling hit a sudden crescendo.

There was a blur of motion followed by a battle cry and the sound of grinding meat. The Daimyo Hermitaur screeched and scuttled backwards as the giant extremity landed heavily several feet away. A tall, hooded figure lept out and pressed the attack. The growling emanated from the attackers twin blades whose edges flickered in the moonlight.

Sand and blood swirled into the air as the figure sliced relentlessly into the Hermitaur, clearly avoiding any vital areas. In an increasingly futile attempt to defend itself, the Carpaceon brought its broad claw in and thrust it forward. The figure swiftly ducked into the hollow made by the missing pincer and swung in a wide arc kicking up an enormous gout of sand when the swords touched the ground. The blades bit deep into the meat between joints and easily severed the remaining claw. The cloaked warrior hopped back and was about to rush back in when Seid called out angrily.

"Enough Vindel! Finish it already you sick bastard."

"We'll I wasn't exactly expecting guests..." murmured the Royal, gesturing at Sigurd, Bright and Cassandra. "And I'm having _such_ a good time..."

Vindel's voice was like a dagger wrapped in silk, smooth but laced with underlying menace. Another shiver crawled up Sigurd's spine, it was the voice of a killer not a hunter.

"We have finished your contract and wish to collect our reward as soon as possible." Dante stated, stepping forward.

"You will speak when spoken to, fifth rank." hissed Merquel.

Dante turned to the armored warrior and gripped his sheathed weapon in an unmistakeable threat. Merquel hefted his scythe and took a step forward, daring him to draw. Seid placed a hand on his partners shoulder and shook his head. Vindel also waved his blade dismissively, and pulled back his hood. The Royal's dark head was completely devoid of hair and his features were long and sharp. A jagged white scar ran down his face, starting at the left temple and splitting in two at the bridge of his nose where it cut horizontally down the corners of his mouth making an inverted 'y' shape.

"The Tigrex is dead then? Well I suppose that I shouldn't waste your time...or our guests."

"Ummm..." peeped Cassandra, pointing. "Where did the Hermitaur go?"

Bright and Sigurd stared at the space the giant carpaceon had previously occupied. It was as if it had just vanished. Baffled as to how such a large creature could just be gone so suddenly, trainer and trainees noticed that the other hunters looked upward. The sky was clear so Sigurd couldn't tell what they were looking at until...

A hole had seemingly opened in the center of the moon, growing with each second. However as it got larger he noticed that it wasn't a hole but the Hermitaur, who had launched itself into the air in an apparent last ditch attempt to crush them.

Sigurd heard a faint rustling from near the oasis and watched as another dark cloaked hunter stepped from the brush, wielding a longbow. The slimness of the figures features suggested femininity, as did the graceful way that she dry aimed her bow. Vindel raised his hand. The archer pulled an arrow from the large quiver strapped to her back, aimed and fired at Vindel's unspoken command.

The arrow streaked across the night sky and was lost in the darkness. A pained hiss from above however confirmed the accuracy of the shot. The Hermitaur flailed its legs and crashed violently on its shell, underside exposed. The blades roared into life once again, and Vindel flew towards the fallen creature.

With a ferocity and power that could only be born from a lifetime in the harsh desert Vindel eviscerated the prone monster, howling like a lunatic. He danced in a tornado of sand and blood stripping away the hard shell, shredding the soft underside and pulping its insides. The Hermitaur flailed violently with it's legs for a few moments but eventually lie twitching at it's sides. The entrails and viscera didn't stop flying until until most of the organs lie steaming on the sand.

Sigurd was no stranger to blood and guts but he nearly gagged at the royal's mottled form. The violence, the howling, the unrelenting cruelty. This must be the reason he was known as 'Sandstorm'.

Slowly, Vindel turned to look in their direction. His amber eyes were cold and penetrating.

"Welcome," he declared. "To my Desert."

* * *

**The plot thickens. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	3. Desert Eden

**Written on a lark with another Hunter. I do not own Monster Hunter.**

* * *

"We should get going." Said Vindel, wiping off chunks of meat. "My men will salvage the Hermitaur later."

As the other hunters put away their weapons, Cassandra sidled up to Sigurd and Bright.

"A Monoblos, then a Tigrex, then royals," she whispered breathlessly. "Could today get _any_ better?"

"I'd say 'just another day in the life of a hunter'," admitted Sigurd. "But this is by far the strangest hunt I've ever been on. At least we're not dead right?"

Bright nodded judiciously at this.

"You're from the Moonshades aren't you?" Seid asked the cloaked archer.

The hunter inclined her head but did not move to take off her hood. An awkward silence ensued as everyone waited for her to introduce herself. After a few seconds Vindel snorted in annoyance.

"Yes, our _rude_ friend here is a Moonshade. We had need of their services due to the recent situation…" Seid nodded knowingly.

"Enough waiting around," continued Sandstorm. "We need to get back to the fortress."

As one they set off up the large dune, the firelight of the fort barely peeking over the top. The Royals took the lead followed closely by their seconds. The trainer and trainees walked silently behind them with the Moonshade Archer bringing up the rear. Sigurd could faintly hear the Royals hushed conversation, and strained to catch the dialogue.

"…acting up a lot more than they usually do. I'm finding my own Desert Rose short handed. It's only a matter of time before the beasts begin actively attacking the Fort. Resorting to contract Moonshade _mercenaries_…"

"Word is that even Garland, whose Guild Guards are the largest hunting group in the guild, is having trouble; a shortage of recruits as well as the recent boom in the monster population around the city…The way things are progressing The Guild might overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed! Pah!" spat Merquel. " As long as the Desert Roses hold Eden, the western guild territories have nothing to fear."

"Strong words." observed Dante quietly. "Let's hope you can back them up when it counts. I would hate to have to pick up your slack in the rough times to come."

"Just make sure you and your Dragon Fang actually go hunting instead of lazing about your Guild Hall all day."

"As I recall you requested aid from us layabouts," replied Dante smoothly. "I wonder why you couldn't do it yourselves...?"

"Well you are the guilds esteemed 'Tyrant Slayer'," came the sarcastic reply "Were I allowed to, I would've easily slaughtered all the monsters that been troubling us but..." Merquel glanced at Vindel.

"We've already discussed this Merquel, don't push it." Vindel warned softly. "We've arrived."

As they crested the dune Fort Eden came into full view. The city itself was dug into a naturally defensive hollow mesa that sat defiantly in the sandy plane. The massive steel and wood portal that served as the only entrance was easily several stories high and dotted with heavy arbalest to fend off monsters. Signal fires ringed the upper lip of the fort, a beacon to any lost travelers who needed refuge.

As they approached the giant door, Vindel reached into his pouch and drew a rugged horn. Delicately, he played three short notes and was answered immediately by a high pitched note from the other side of the wall. The Royal nodded and put the tool away.

"My men are preparing to gather the Hermitaur and it will take them a minute to open the gate." he explained. "They are also preparing for the impending sandstorm."

"Sandstorm?" exclaimed Seid. "When is it expected? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Early tomorrow, about mid-morning." Vindel stated matter-of-factually. "If you hadn't returned by then I would've re-opened the Tigrex contract."

The tension was thick as Seid glared at the other royal.

"Not wasting time, are we?"

"I have an obligation to my people. If you couldn't kill it and the sand storm couldn't kill it it, I'd have to do it myself as soon as possible."

"_Your_ people?" asked Bright.

"Ashvelt 'Sandstorm' Vindel is both a Hunter and Village Elder." growled Merquel.

Sigurd stared at Sandstorm and re-evaluated his view of the man. The responsibility of being a Village Elder was enormous. On top regulating quests and Guild revenue, Elders had to properly manage their territory, contain any disputes and ensure productivity was at its utmost. Apparently Vindel accomplished all this and still managed to be one of the Ten Royals, which was another world of obligation entirely.

"What are you staring at?" barked Vindel.

Sigurd flinched. "Nothing! Just...A royal _and_ an Elder? How do you do it?"

The Royal gave Sigurd a level stare and turned away.

"Another time."

A deep grinding rumbled the sands beneath their feet as the large door opened bit by bit. As they passed into the fort Sigurd marveled at how the gate was about as thick as a Cephalos was long. It could probably hold off an entire army of enraged Diablos for months without having to worry about a single breach!

The inside of the fortress was structured like a large bowl; all of the bigger buildings were set against the wall and gradually got smaller until they ended in a large central plaza. Every building was made of rough looking stone, as if it was cut from the mesa itself. The streets were devoid of people, save for the guards who walked to and fro along the walls and entrance.

As they reached the entrance two lines of men clad in dusty brown armor formed into ranks along the street. Vindel strode between the ranks, shadowed by Merquel and the other hunters. At the end of the lines waited a large wagon, already hitched to an Apceros and with a team standing by. Sandstorm gave a slight nod and pointed toward the large dune they just descended. The men saluted, mounted the wagon and took off out the gate toward the Hermitaur. Vindel turned to the rest of his men, who had not moved from their places.

"Keep up the good work men." he ordered brusquely. "As you were."

The men saluted in unison and melted back into their duties leaving the hunters alone in the moonlit street. Seid nodded, impressed.

"You maintain a good amount of discipline here, huh?"

"Unlike one royal I could easily name." muttered Merquel under his breath. Dante glanced at him and frowned.

"I do what is necessary for Eden to survive." Vindel replied. "Merquel will show you to your accommodations. Dante, you will come with me for your reward."

Dante nodded at Seid, who shrugged at him in return and followed Vindel. Sigurd watched as the cloaked Moonshade archer walked off silently, apparently to her own lodgings. Grumbling, Merquel led the remaining four hunters through various alleys and streets until they arrived to a modest looking building that hung an inn sign above the door.

"If you want to get to the center plaza, follow that path until you get to the large street and follow that downward." grumbled the grizzled hunter.

Seid smiled brightly and slapped Merquel on his shoulder amiably before entering. As Cassandra and Bright proceeded into the inn, Sigurd was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Try to teach your students a bit more respect in the future." growled the Royal from beneath his helm "Or I will do it for you."

Sigurd narrowed his eyes at the Royal but said nothing. Merquel released him, saluted mockingly and sauntered down the alley. Shaking his head slowly, the Trainer opened to door to the building and stepped inside. A small wyverian man greeted him from the lobby of the tastefully furnished inn.

"Welcome to my humble inn, good hunter! Your friends have already retired to their quarters. Would you like me to show you to your room, or would you prefer to eat before you rest?"

Suddenly the fatigues of the day finally caught up with him. He felt a bit lightheaded, recalling that his lunch was still on the sands of the gorge and that he had survived the day on about zero fuel. A loud groan from his stomach begged for relief, but the trainer didn't even think he had enough energy to chew properly. His armor wasn't making things any easier and he longed to shed the weight of his hunting gear.

"I'll retire for the evening." he yawned, already unbuckling his shoulder straps and bandolier

"This way then sir."

The room was simply furnished with a bed against one wall, a small desk with a lit lamp against the opposite wall, and a chest next to the door. Wearily, the trainer opened the window to let some air in and stripped himself of his armor and weapon. After placing the last pieces of the blue scaled mail into the chest, Sigurd literally fell into the bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Dante studied the scroll once again before rolling it up and refastening it with the leather strap. Gently, he slid it back into the lacquered wooden tube before sealing it and staring at the silver insignia of the Guild. Across the heavily decorated office, Vindel replaced the various scrolls that he had pulled out.

"And you're sure this is it?" Dante asked quietly.

Vindel replaced the last scroll and closed the chest silently.

"It is." he replied. "I must say though, your...odd reward request leads me to wonder. Why would a hunter want a map of Guild observation balloon flight patterns...?"

"It is none of your business." said Dante sharply.

"Oh I assure you it most definitely is." came the equally sharp retort.

Dante glared at the Royal, his dead eyes locking onto to Vindel's cold ones. Casually, Sandstorm stepped behind his desk and sat down, tracing the scar on his face with a finger. Still holding the other hunters eyes he gestured at the scroll.

"Village Elders are given those maps so that they can know when monsters are in their territory, and I could find myself in a considerable amount of trouble if the Guild knew that I gave one away...as could you."

Dante caught the thinly veiled thread and turned away from the man, instead focusing his attention on a majestic Diablos horn that dominated all the various other trophies that hung on the walls. After a tense silence, Dante spoke in a low voice.

"I'm looking for a specific monster."

Vindel's hairless eyebrows rose.

"Revenge then? What monster is it?"

Dante looked into Sandstorms eyes again and for a moment, the royal thought he could see a flicker of emotion behind them. Anger?

"It's only vaguely listed by the guild, and the last of its kind."

"How can you be sure that another hunter wont stumble upon you prey and kill it before you can have your revenge?"

A mirthless laugh suddenly escaped the hunter, and was cut off as fast as it began.

"Kill it? No ordinary hunter can even hope to _injure_ my prey..." said Dante gravely. "No, I'm the only one who can silence the Black God."

Vindel stared at him with barely concealed shock.

"The legend of the Black God...Akantor...the Calamity..._T__hat_ is your prey?"

Dante walked to the door, placing the scroll in his pouch as he went.

"Yes. I must kill the Akantor. After all, I was the one who released it.

* * *

It was still dark when Sigurd awoke to the sound of familiar voices. His stomach roared and a headache pounded his temples but the trainer forced himself to sit up and listen. A light breeze blew into his window again, carrying the voices with it. Only a few scattered words too indistinct to make sense reached his ears.

Taken by curiosity, he walked to the window and looked out. The voices came from above and Sigurd recognized them as Seid and Dante's. Although he still couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, the tone and volume strongly suggested an argument.

Concerned and not a little curious, the Trainer left the room and made his way to the stairs that led to the roof. As he ascended the the argument got louder until he could hear them clearly through the door. Sigurd flinched at the scathing voices, Seid and Dante were the last people he'd expect to argue.

"And what? You expect me to accept this!" shouted Seid. "You cant take that thing alone!"

"After all we've been through you doubt my ability?" Dante snarled.

"It's not that I doubt you! You're one of the best hunters I've ever met! It's just that this monster is too powerful for one hunter, you know this!"

"I'm close to finding it this time and I can't let you hold me back forever!"

"Are you so impatient to die! Why cant you wait?"

"All I know is that I _need_ to kill this thing if I'm to have _any_ peace of mind! Why cant you see that?"

"All _I_ know is that _I_ don't want to see my friend get killed! Why cant _you_ see that!"

"I might never get another chance like this! I don't want to pass it up, wondering if I could finally-"

Sigurd shifted slightly against the door. The conversation instantly cut off. Before he could move the door was snatched open by a tense looking Seid. For a moment the Silver King glared daggers into the trainer. Then he sighed and seemed to deflate, all the youthfulness and excitement seemingly drained from his person, leaving a very tired looking hunter.

"Loud, huh?" he asked smiling ruefully.

"Yeah..." mumbled Sigurd averting his eyes.

"Sorry for waking you. We were just about to-"

"Since we woke him up," interrupted Dante. "I might as well humor him with a small story."

Seid looked like he was going to say something, but a glance from Dante made him shrug in resignation. Sigurd hesitated. The Tyrant Slayer wasn't the talking type so far as he was concerned. However, if he had something to say it was probably worth listening to. Cautiously, the trainer joined the others on the roof. Seid silently closed the door behind him.

"There once was a boy who lived in a small mountain village called Pokke." Dante began quietly. "His mother died giving birth to him and his eldest sister had gone to the capitol to seek her fortune, leaving the boy with his father. The boy adored his father and always aspired to be just like him, a Monster Hunter."

"The boy and his father worked hard and were happy. And as the boy grew into a young man, he showed exceptional hunting ability and instincts. The people of the village believed that he would be a very skilled and powerful hunter. One day while the young man was surveying the mountain with his father, a blizzard hit and they were separated. The blizzard was fierce but he had practically grown up there and knew his way around the mountain. To escape the storm he ventured deep into a cave system he knew of and eventually found himself in the heart of the mountain.

Dante had a far off look on his face. Stirring emotions flickered behind his eyes and his voice seemed...different from its usual monotone.

"The natural chamber he found himself in was as enormous as it was beautiful. But sealed in a wall of ice was the most horrifying creature he'd ever laid eyes on. Black spines like a vision from a nightmare covered the beast, and two jagged tusks jutted from its massive maw. Posed as if about to attack, the monster was completely frozen as if someone had trapped it there. Only one of the monsters enormous claws protruded from its icy prison and thrust deep within it was a lone sword."

"As soon as he set his eyes on the long blade, the young man knew that he had to have it. White steel forged into a sword with one edge, reminiscent of the ancient swords from the far east. Wrapped around the blade was a strip of purple silk embroidered with golden symbols he couldn't read. The claw was completely cold to the touch as the young man climbed. Such a beast couldn't possibly be alive after being frozen so thoroughly for so long."

"The young man barely registered the ice crack as he pulled the sword free and shouted in triumph. Stowing the silk in one of his pockets he left the chamber to show his father what he had found. The blizzard had died while he was in cave so he began the long trek to their home."

"When the boy passed through the Pokke he stopped to ask the Elder if his father had come back yet. He had not, but the elder was far more concerned about where the young man found the strange sword. When the young man asked why, the Elder told him the legend of the eastern warrior who sealed a god in the mountain to stop its rampage across the continent. The elder paled as young man told of the enormous monster in the ice. At that moment, the loudest most terrifying roar ever uttered by man or beast burst from the mountain, followed by an explosion that set off an enormous avalanche. At once, the young man knew what he had done"

A fleeting expression of pain flickered across Dante's face as he continued.

"I ran for the mountain as fast as I could...hoping...praying that maybe he had made it, but my damn prodigious instinct kept telling me he didn't. Regardless, I searched the area around the mountain desperately trying to find him. After two days I finally saw a hand sticking out of the snow, black with frostbite. With renewed vigor I ran over and pulled the hand...and nothing came up with it. It was his forearm, ripped off at the elbow."

Dante glared directly at Sigurd, not in anger but with some unidentifiable emotion. The hunters eyes burned into the trainers, and his voice matched his fierce expression.

"In my fathers hand was a fragment of that monsters scales. He had probably discovered the beast right before it shattered its prison. Upon those cursed scales, I vowed revenge against the monster that took my father from me. For a time, I traveled all of Minegarde, slaying countless monsters until I met Seid. With him as an ally, I've been searching for my prey, Akantor. Now that I have the flight patterns for the observation balloons all around the world I'm one step closer to my vengeance."

"And he thinks that he should go the rest of his journey alone." accused Seid.

Dante glared at Seid, and the thick tension rose once again. Sigurd looked from one to the other and cleared his throat quietly. Instantly they snapped their attention to him. Mustering up some willpower, he spoke with quiet thoughtfulness.

"I was born and raised in Dondruma so I really don't know how to handle bloody vengeance. However, running half-cocked into a dangerous journey that will probably get you killed isn't the best way to settle your vendetta. How can you avenge your father if you're dead?"

Dante bristled but Sigurd forged on.

"I think you should let others help you, even if it is revenge. Pride and blind fury wont get you anywhere, especially if this Akantor is as bad as you say it is. If what you've said is true, you should continue to gather allies and proceed like any other hunt. Prepare, Isolate, Slay and, move on."

A few moments passed in complete silence. Sigurd began to shift uncomfortably as the two hunters stared at him in slight disbelief. Had he crossed a line somewhere?

Without warning, Seid began a slow chuckle that gradually into a hearty laugh. Soon after, Dante too rocked with quiet laughter. The trainer smiled awkwardly as the two came down from their respective peals of mirth.

"You speak with wisdom beyond your years, Sigurd." said Seid.

"He reminds me of a certain hunter, speaking so boldly to his superiors." added Dante.

Seid laughed again and punched Dante on the shoulder.

"Seriously Dante, let me help you fight. Together you know we're practically invincible."

Dante sighed and looked down. For several moments he was silent, visibly struggling with conflicting emotions.

"I will...consider it. When the time comes." he said quietly.

"As for you," Seid said "You should find our Guild Hall once we get to the city. Maybe we can work something out with the Dragon Fang."

Sigurd's jaw dropped and the best he could manage was a nod. Was Seid implying...

"Well then, we should get some rest." said Seid, yawning. "It's a long way back to Dondruma."

* * *

**Yes Dante's back story is horribly generic but it's the truth. Thanks for reading. I hope you're enjoying it.**


	4. Talent

**Written on a lark with another hunter. I do not own Monster Hunter**

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Sigurd awoke to all the sounds of a town alive with motion. Groaning, he rolled over and curled the pillow behind his head in a vain attempt to muffle the noise. The window that he had opened to let in the cool night breeze now betrayed him into wakefulness.

Abandoning the last tatters of sleep, the trainer swung his legs over the edge of the bed and shuffled over to close the window. The approaching sandstorm may require careful preparation from the populace of Eden but did they have to be so damn _loud_ about it? Sighing and squinting against the sunlight, Sigurd trudged to the lobby of the inn.

After greeting the elderly wyverian proprietor Sigurd opened the door that led into the dining room. Seid was seated at the head of the table with Bright and Cassandra on either side and all of them were laughing amiably. The trainer stood at the door smiling slightly as he took in the pleasant scene. It was almost comical how the day before they were looking death square in the face, only to be sharing breakfast with one of the most powerful hunters in the Guild. His musings were cut short by the vicious cramping and muted roar of his empty stomach. Stretching as he walked, Sigurd stepped in to join the other hunters at the table .

"Ah, Sigurd! So nice of you to join us." said Seid, his signature grin plastered on his face. "We had a running bet on if you would sleep for the rest of the day."

"So, what's the plan for today?" inquired Cassandra.

Sigurd took a thoughtful bite out of a warm roll to quell his groaning stomach. "Well once the sandstorm passes, we'll be headed for Dondruma." He received an approving nod from Seid. "In the meantime, I need to write your evaluations..."

Seid burst into a fit of uncontrolled laughter, startling the other hunters.

"I'll never get over the fact that the Guild needs to document hunts to evaluate hunters." he said between breaths.

"Wha-huh?" sputtered Sigurd. "You don't have to write reports?"

"No! How could I?" said Seid, giggling like a madman. "I can't even read!"

Varying degrees of incredulity colored Sigurd, Cassandra, and Bright's faces.

"Well he never did go to training school, from what I've heard..." whispered Bright.

"Leave the paperwork to the elders and the wyverian scribes," Seid said, chuckling. "Monster Hunters only need to know how to hunt. You're not going to learn how to kill a monster by pushing paper."

"But... But I have to document the situation with the Monoblos and the Tigrex." stammered Sigurd. "And don't even get me started on all those Cephalos! It'll take most of the day to-"

"Look, don't worry about the evaluations and reports Sigurd." said Seid, standing to leave. "Just relax and take in the sights. Who knows, you might just learn something."

With that he bowed politely and left the room, leaving the other three hunters to their breakfasts.

"Well..." Sigurd sighed. "I suppose a small walk around Eden wouldn't hurt..."

Bright nodded appreciatively and Cassandra cheered. After they finished eating, the three hunters donned their equipment and stepped onto the sandy streets of Fort Eden. Even in the small alley outside the inn people busily came and went, hurrying on whatever errands they had to complete. Following Merquel's directions they made their way to the large road that led to the center plaza of the fortress.

The large central road that led from the gate to the plaza was packed with hunters, vendors and people going about their general business. Street vendors called out to him and his trainees as they walked toward the central plaza. Anything from supposedly lucky trinkets to actual monster parts were offered before they had to pack up in preparation for the coming sandstorm.

A metallic scraping sound caught the trainers ear and he turned to see the enormous gate being sealed. Sigurd watched for several minutes as men and women wearing brown uniforms lowered two gigantic crossbeams across the portal. Other Desert Roses busily walked the streets helping vendors move their products to various warehouses. The citizenry were gradually filing into their homes, and any remaining unaffiliated hunters hastened to make last minute purchases.

"Sandstorms tend to blow monsters over our walls," said a gruff voice from behind them. "Which is why everyone goes into their homes until it's over."

"Ashvelt Merquel," Sigurd acknowledged. "I hope all is well with you."

Merquel snorted and crossed his arms. The trainer was slightly surprised; Bloodhorn wasn't clad in his signature Monoblos Armor and his features matched his personality perfectly. He was dressed very simply, clad in only a thin shirt and working shorts. A very square chin rested below serious brown eyes. The royals hair was cut close to his scalp in the classic hunter hairstyle. His muscles bunched under the clothing, making him seem larger than he actually was.

"Passage has been prepared for you and your companions as soon as the storm passes." he growled.

"Good," replied a flat voice. "I wouldn't want to be stuck here longer than needed."

All four hunters turned in unison. Seid and Dante strode toward them dressed light for the heat. Merquel shot Dante a glare.

"If it were up to me, you would find your own damn shelter '_Tyrant Slayer_', and it's only by Vindel's good graces you're here now."

"I suppose you'll have to try to be annoying in some other small way." Dante shot back.

Merquel's eye twitched and he looked as if he were about to snap but Seid intercepted by placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Merquel, for your hospitality." Merquel glanced at him and took a deep breath. "Also, be sure to tell Vindel we will see him in the Frontier City shortly.

Even though the worst of it had dissipated, a thick tension still lingered. Ignorant to the situation, a guard walked up and whispered something to Bloodhorn. The royal sighed exasperatedly and nodded at Seid.

"If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

Sparing one last venomous glare at Dante, Merquel followed the guard down the street and out of sight.

"Why can't you play nice for once?" groaned Seid.

"If he'd be quiet and stop trying to intimidate everyone maybe I'd have a reason to." replied Dante.

"Where were you guys?" inquired Bright.

"Oh you know, just looking around. Talking to some of Dante's old friends."

"Dante had friends?" blurted Cassandra before she could cover her mouth.

Dante quirked an eyebrow at her. "More like acquaintances. Some kids I knew while I was growing up."

"So what are we gonna do during this sandstorm?" asked Sigurd.

"We'll return to our lodgings," stated Dante. "And let the Desert Roses do their jobs."

"I got more than enough stories to keep us entertained!" offered Seid.

Bright and Cassandra brightened up considerably and followed the royal as he began to walk back to the inn. Dante looked over his shoulder at Sigurd.

"I assume you will catch up?"

"Yeah," replied the Trainer. "I want to restock on ammunition before all the vendors close."

Dante nodded and quickened his pace to catch up to the others while Sigurd turned into the bazaar. The streets of the square were almost deserted by now, only a handful of hunters and merchants dared to stay out for a last minute deal. Sigurd bought a box of ammunition from a merchant who was just closing up and made his way back to the inn, hurried along by the Desert Rose hunters.

Although the sandstorm was supposed to last the rest of the day it lost strength and eventually stopped after a few hours. Sigurd hardly noticed the time pass. Through the entire storm he, Cassandra and Bright were thoroughly entertained by Seid's wild adventures. By the time the sandstorm was over, Sigurd had made a new goal to visit some of the strange and exotic places the royal had mentioned.

One of the Desert Roses came to fetch them as soon as the streets were clear, and they all headed out to the square. People were just beginning to trickle out of their homes and merchants were once again setting up their tents. Already some of them were hawking their wares and throngs of hunters returned to the street. Their escort led them to the enormous entrance where Merquel waited with an impatient scowl. He waved off the guide who spared Seid a quick bow before rushing off to his duties.

"Vindel has prepared a ride for you at one of the outposts. It'll take you a few hours to get there if you leave now."

"Where is Vindel?" asked Cassandra, earning herself a disapproving look.

"Most likely, he's already left for Dondruma." answered Dante.

"Why would he be going to the City?" inquired Sigurd.

"The royals are being gathered in Dondruma to discuss matters of Guild importance with the Head Administrator of the Minegarde branch." replied Seid.

"All the…_All_ of them?" sputtered Cassandra. "All of the royals are going to be in the City?"

"Is something wrong?" Bright asked quietly.

"Of course not!" assured Seid. "It's more for the initiations and tradition than for actual productivity. Usually we just chat about the treasury or new inventions and the like."

Sigurd found himself chuckling as well, but noticed that the Silver King's body language was tense despite his light attitude. Informally Seid clasped Merquel's shoulder and shook his hand.

"Thanks again for the hospitality Ashvelt Bloodhorn. May your blade stay sharp."

"And yours as well, Ashvelt Silver King." mumbled the other royal.

The gate opened with a loud metallic groan, and the hunters left the massive fortress. Bright lead with the map and the group traversed over the hot dunes. After a couple hours they spotted a cluster of painted boulders that marked the edge of the desert territory. As they came closer the trainer noticed movement between the rocks. He was about to comment on it when a loud voice called out.

"Halt!"

Immediately the group stopped and watched as a round man stepped from behind one of the boulders. The Desert Rose crossed his arms and swaggered arrogantly toward the group. His attitude changed significantly when he noticed the silver scales of Seid's armor glinting in the sunlight. Almost comically the man ran back behind the boulders, tripping over himself a few times, and began issuing orders.

"The Silver King has arrived! Get that cart ready! Shape up! Come on, men! We're making Ashvelt Vindel look bad on front of another royal!"

A cart hitched to an Apceros was hastily brought from behind the boulders led by the same large man who had come out before.

"Hail, Ashvelt." He said crossing his arm over his chest and bowing at the waist. "I am Jiirago of the Desert Roses."

Seid gave the man a slight nod and circled the cart. Jiirago went rigid as if he were undergoing an inspection.

"Ashvelt Sandstorm has ordered that we prepare an escort for your remaining journey to Dondruma."

Cassandra squealed with joy and Bright sighed in relief.

"Good, my feet are killing me." stated Sigurd setting his pack in the cart.

"Maybe Vindel isn't all that bad after all." murmured Bright.

Seid and Dante sat in the front as the three settled into the cart. Jiirago handed Dante the reigns.

"Thank you very much, Jiirago." said Seid.

"Not that it is a problem for you, Ashvelt" Jiirago added. "But lately some monsters have been waylaying caravans on the roads leading to Dondruma, in the forest and hills region. Not that you'd have any trouble handling them, just thought you should know."

Seid smiled and thanked the man one more time before Dante spurred the beast and they pulled off. After a short while, the desert gave way to more and more plant life before it completely gave way to grassy foothills and a dirt road. The forest on both sides of the road gave short bursts of shade to the travelers. The sunlight still beat heavily on the cart but Sigurd ignored the glare and lay down, listening.

"I wonder what monster could be causing trouble in the roads?" Cassandra wondered aloud.

"A Bullfango maybe?" replied Bright

"_A__nyone_ can take down a bullfango."

"Then a Bulldrome?"

"Bulldromes only live in the northern mountains, remember?"

"Velociprey pack?"

"Well that would be trouble for a caravan but the Guild would've taken care of it by now."

Seid and Dante shared glances, and the former sported an enormous grin.

"What...?" asked Cassandra suspiciously.

Seid reached into his pouch and withdrew a small horn. Dante stopped the cart. Cassandra and Bright eyed the tool warily. Sigurd paled.

"Well there's only one way to find out what monster it could be!" and Seid blew hard into the horn.

Sigurd, Cassandra and Bright quickly scrambled to the front of the cart and brought out their weapons. Dante also hopped off and held the nervous Apceros' reigns.

Sigurd closed his eyes and listened. Beneath the sounds of insects, birds and foliage he could hear a faint rhythmic noise, like a heartbeat. As it grew louder with each second Sigurd opened his eyes and smiled.

"Bright, Cassandra." He said getting their attention. "The sky."

The trainees nodded and scanned the air, searching for anything flying towards them. Sigurd closed his eyes once again trying to pinpoint the location of the wing beats. But while listening another softer noise came from the forest beside them, again like a heartbeat but more irregular. Sigurd opened his eyes but couldn't see anything through the shifting foliage.

"Sigurd!" called Cassandra. "There!"

Sigurd looked to where she was pointing and unfolded his Arbalest, loading some of his normal rounds. Pinkish wings and a short orange body cast a long shadow on the group as the wyvern let out a deep throated screech.

The trainer fired at the circling Yian Kut-Ku but it was too fast for him to hit while in the air. The creature circled once more before making a wide arc and diving straight for the cart from behind. Dante turned and put a hand on the hilt of his katana but Seid shook his head.

Suddenly, another closer deep throated screech pierced the air and an orange stampeding blur burst from the trees and made a beeline from the front. Dante had to take the Apceros' reigns in both hands. Cassandra and Bright looked between the two rapidly approaching wyverns, deliberating on which one to take out first. Seid sat calmly at the front of the cart, staring directly at Sigurd with a look that said _'What will you do now__'__._

In Sigurd's eyes everything suddenly seemed to slow down. He was keenly aware of his own heartbeat hammering away in his chest, his quick shallow breaths. Without thinking, Sigurd fired a round so close to Seid's head that it blew the royals hair to one side. Before he could see if the shot had hit, the trainer spun the cannon around his torso so that the barrel of the gun was sticking under his armpit and fired a shot blindly. Sigurd took a deep breath, blinked and the world sped up to normal again.

The first shot exploded between the diving wyverns eyes, causing it to veer into the trees beside the road. If the crunching, splintering sound that came from the forest was any indication, Sigurd could tell it wasn't just the trees that had been shattered on impact. Miraculously, the second shot hit the charging wyvern directly between the eyes as well, causing it to lose its footing and slide to a stop.

Sigurd could hear his trainees charging in to finish the job but his focus was on the royal, who stood after the bullet had whizzed by his head. Seid's eyes were wide with shock, his mouth agape. The trainer looked at Dante and found him similarly transfixed.

Sigurd's body still hummed with adrenaline, and he looked down at his hands as if they didn't belong to him. When he looked back at the royal his features had changed considerably. Where there was once open awe, now Seid wore a face revealing curiosity boarder lining on suspicion. Sigurd flinched and looked away, unable to meet such intense eyes.

A wailing death cry caused him to turn around. Sigurd had just enough time to see Bright pull his lance from the membranous material of the wing and harness it to his back. Cassandra laughed and nudged the scarred head with her sword. As Sigurd walked to where his trainees celebrated, Dante hastily mounted the cart.

"That boy, Sigurd," Seid said quietly. "He's better than I gave him credit for. I honestly thought that I'd have to cut the Kut-Ku down at the last second...but that shot...It was incredible. I've never seen anything like it. To hit two targets coming from opposite directions in the same exact place, and one of them blindly."

Dante nodded solemnly. "You were right, he's got the instinct. We couldn't possibly let talent like that go to waste."

"No..." Seid said, staring at Sigurd. "No, we couldn't."

Sigurd, Bright and Cassandra loaded the wyvern into the cart without much hassle. They all blushed slightly at Seid and Dante's applause. The three hunters started to walk toward the other wyvern, but Dante stopped them.

"There wouldn't be enough room, unless you want to walk?"

A few seconds later they were all ambling back on their path to Dondruma, leaving the wyvern to nature.

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**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. The Dragon Fang

**Written on a lark with another Hunter. I do not own Monster Hunter.**

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_He was standing on a wall of stone. The rain came down in sheets, stinging his exposed skin and creeping into the openings of his armor. Despite the cold, Sigurd stared intently at the grassy plain before him. A sound like the beat from a large drum rumbled the earth. A faceless young man whispered something in his ear. The words sounded far away and unintelligible, but Sigurd nodded and waved him away. He raised an arm and the cannons and ballistas on the wall took aim at the center of the valley formed by the mountain around them. He thought of something important but it left as fast as it came. When he looked back at the valley an enormous shadow towered over him. Dwarfing even the high wall he was standing on, the shadow reared back its head. At that exact moment, Sigurd lowered his arm. Suddenly the rain wasn't falling anymore and the entire world was shaking, shaking, shaking... _

Sigurd became aware of a hand on his shoulder shaking him awake. He had been resting against the soft, torn membrane of the of the slain Kut-Ku's wing . The Trainer blinked away the remaining layers of sleep and sat up, scattering the papers that had been laying on his chest.

"Hey, don't spill those! You spent so long working on them!" exclaimed Cassandra. "Bright, help me before they fall off!"

Dimly, Sigurd remembered working on his reports before shutting his eyes for a small rest. Looking up into the peach sky, the Trainer realized that he had been asleep for a few hours.

"Hey, he's finally awake." said Seid from the front of the cart. "I guess all that documentation can really take it out of you, huh?"

Sigurd shook his head and chuckled. Boring paperwork did make him tired just from the amount of focus it demanded. Bright handed him a bundle of papers which he placed in his pack, careful not to crease the parchment. His attention was brought back to the front of the cart when Dante quietly made an announcement.

"We've arrived at Dondruma."

"Home sweet home." commented Seid jovially.

Sigurd stood in the cart to get a better look. Even though he had been born and raised within its large walls, he was still astounded at the sheer scale of the Frontier City. Rising beside a alone mountain stood Dondruma. The city's great gate loomed overhead, almost perpetually open. Great scaffolds were erected on the surrounding rock faces which were bustling with men and women, toiling to maintain the enormous walls. Clearly visible behind the hall was an enormous castle, the home of the true Royal Family. A man in a blue Guild Guard uniform atop the gate gestured at them to pass through upon seeing the slain trophy on the cart.

When the hunters drew the cart under the gate a busy looking workman signaled for them to get off. So harried was the man that he didn't even notice that he was in the presence of a Royal. They swiftly dismounted and the man drove the cart outside the gate once again.

"Where are they taking our Kut-Ku?" Cassandra whined.

"Most likely to the Refinery, outside the city." commented Seid rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "This was your first official hunt so I didn't expect you to know too much about it. It's where they take monster carcasses and strip them of any useful materials."

"The materials are then presented to the hunter who took the quest to slay the monster," said Bright. "I remember reading about it in the Academy."

"But where will our Kut-Ku go? We didn't take a quest to kill it."

"Most likely to make training-level armor and weapons for other initiates and trainees." stated Sigurd. "Either way, nothing gets wasted."

"Come on, its almost nightfall." said Dante, walking under the vaulted gate.

The streets were packed with people going to and fro and the general roar made it impossible to converse. Hunters clad in a variety of armors strolled the streets, laughing with friends, shopping, and swapping stories. Occasionally, a wyverian riding a domesticated Aptanoth would part the crowd on its way to one of the Guild facilities. As Seid and company walked passed, a hush went through the main avenue.

"Dragons at the gate...its Ashvelt Seid!"

"He saved my hometown once."

"The Silver King? Here? Where?"

"Look! Right over there! See?"

"That's Dante! _The_ Dante! Tyrant Slayer, over here!"

Even though the people were packed in the street they gave the Royal and his group a wide berth. Seid smiled and waved while Dante managed small smiles and cool nods. Conversely, Cassandra blushed and shrank in on herself while Bright kept his eyes firmly on the ground. Sigurd looked around and caught the eyes of several hunters who stared at him and the trainees longingly.

"How do they put _up_ with this?" whispered Cassandra. "I mean, so many people are _staring_..."

"They expect so much of them." intoned Bright.

"Keep it together." whispered Dante, half turning his head. "We're almost at the Master Guild Hall."

The group trudged up the street toward a large compound surrounding the base of the castle. It was here where the Monster Hunter's Guild Minegarde branch was based. The complex housed the Guild's Main Academy, Observation and Information Department, Apartments, the Hall of Royals and the Guild Arena. Needless to say, it took up a sizable chunk of the city and was listed as its own District.

The crowd of hunters grew thicker the deeper they went into the complex. Seid and Dante endured the gauntlet of bewildered stares graciously, not once stumbling or breaking stride. Eventually they passed under the wide metal arch that marked the entrance to the Academy. Emblazoned into the metal were simple scenes of hunters accomplishing tasks, from simple gathering, to cooking to actual hunting and so on. It represented the fundamentals of hunting that every hunter would master before leaving the Academy. At the apex were the words '_By Our Blades'_ which was the shortened expression for the Guild motto: '_By our Blades, the Hunters become the Hunted'._

Another blue-clad Guild Guard stood at the door and did a double take when he saw Seid approaching. Fumbling, he picked up a mallet and banged it on a small gong twice before standing at attention and opening the large door for them. A long corridor marked the beginning of the Guild Central Offices, where all hunters received and reported quests in Dondruma.

Lined on both sides of the corridor were Guild Guards who saluted as Seid and Dante passed. A number of trainees leaving the Academy gawked at the legends and glared jealously at those who were so obviously associated with them. Several of the passing students called out to the Royal who responded politely with a smile and a wave. Sigurd couldn't keep himself from grinning as a young female trainee passed out and was barely caught by her equally stunned accomplices.

Cassandra and Bright discreetly soaked up the glares of their fellow trainees with small smiles. Sigurd kept his cool, casually waving to acquaintances and other Trainers. As they approached the end of the corridor he wondered briefly how they could receive so much attention, so much adoration and still be so humble. When the group reached the enormous lobby all the Guild Guards down the line saluted once more and dispersed.

Seid smiled and bowed. "Well, Cassandra, Bright, it was a pleasure."

Bright flinched and Cassandra sputtered at the blatant lack of decorum in such a public place.

"Tha-thank you Ashve-um...Seid...for, uh..._saving_ us and everything! It was our pleasure!"

After returning the bow, Cassandra turned to Sigurd.

"So, um, Sigurd. This was your last training assignment, right?"

Sigurd blinked. "Oh...huh. I suppose it was. It completely slipped my mind after we almost got killed... well the first time we almost got killed."

"So this is it?" Bright asked glumly. "You're not going to train us any more?"

"As if you two need more training!" Sigurd laughed. "Both of you will be going up in rank too, so you'll be free to do whatever you want. Whatever you choose to do, I'm proud to call you my students."

Cassandra suddenly threw her arms around the Trainers neck and hugged him fiercely.

"I'm gonna miss you Sigurd!" she whimpered.

"I'm sure we'll meet again." He reassured, returning the embrace.

Bright clasped his hand in a firm handshake.

"Thank you Sigurd. For everything."

"No Bright. Thank _you_ for everything. Stay strong my friend."

With one last wave, the two turned and were lost in the crowd. Sigurd watched them slip away and smiled to himself, already missing them a little. Then he turned to Seid and Dante.

"You speak with wisdom beyond your years." stated Dante.

"I just told them the truth." he shrugged.

"So now what?" Seid asked.

"I have to go and finalize the terms of my Training contract and report on the assignment."

"Sounds like a plan!" replied the Royal, nodding.

"You're going to...? O-okay then."

The lobby of the Guild Central Office was an enormous space broken only by small circular desks where receptionists distributed and finalized Guild paperwork, i.e. Hunting Quests, contracts, among other things. Along the walls were various trophies all donated by Hunters, reaching all the way to the high ceiling. There were Drome claws, Rathalos Wings, intact preserved Vespoids, and much more. A large intact Gypceros head was mounted over the table set into the far wall where Sigurd waited in line to speak to the receptionist.

"A truly magnificent trophy." Seid said admiringly.

"Surely you've seen much grander trophies from more amazing beasts." replied Sigurd, surprised at the Royals appreciation.

"Now, Now, Sigurd. A triumph over any creature, no matter how small, is still a monumental achievement. You of all people should understand that."

The trainer smiled, briefly remembering his first solo hunt and how proud he had been of himself. To arrive victorious from a life-or-death struggle over any monster, from Kut-Ku to Monoblos, truly was a monumental achievement.

After the few people ahead of him finished, Sigurd stepped up to the counter and a young receptionist greeted him.

"Hello Hunter!" she chirped merrily.

Sigurd smiled back. "Hi I'm Sigurd, here to finalize my Training contract."

"Oooh, really?" she gasped. "Good for you! How did the quest go?"

"Pretty smooth. Only a few complications." said Sigurd casually.

After nearly being killed by a Cephadrome, gored by a Monoblos, ripped to shreds by a Tigrex, and miraculously saved by two of the most powerful hunters in the Guild, Sigurd felt that he had earned the right to play it off casually.

"Okay!" declared the girl, drawing a large volume from under the counter and flipping through a few pages. "Here we go! Your contract states that since you became a Trainer as soon as you joined the Guild after four years of successfully educating Trainees you will be elevated to the Fourth Hunter Rank. Alright, to start do you have proof quest completion?"

Sigurd withdrew a large serrated picine fang and a handful of scales from his pack and laid them on the counter. Handling the fang and scales delicately, she recorded the length of the fang and quality of the scales in the book. The receptionist then reached under the counter once again and placed a large box on the counter, in which she placed the items.

"And for this quest you were given jurisdiction of Cassandra and Bright. Do you have their assessments?"

Sigurd reached for his bag when he remembered that he hadn't finished the assessments. Frantically, he thought back to when he was going to write them and a voice popped into his head; _"Leave the paperwork to the Elders and wyverian scribes..." _

Slowly, he turned and looked at Seid. The Royal wore an innocently amused smile on his face.

"Well, Sigurd?" he asked. "_Do_ you have their assessments?"

"Wha-you...I...but...they...we," sputtered the Trainer, his eye spasming. "Without those assessments, I'll have to start all over again! I've been a Trainer since I finished my training and joined the Guild, _four years ago!_ _Four years!_ I'm...I'm going to have to teach trainees for the rest of my career and its **all your fault!**"

Several hunters turned to view the scene that Sigurd was creating. As he shouted unintelligible curses aloud Seid, completely unfazed, stepped up to the counter and placed two neatly folded papers on the counter. The receptionist blushed at the Royal and took the papers. Seid tossed a wink over his shoulder and tapped Sigurd on the shoulder. By now a good amount of hunters had gathered to watch the raving Trainer. Sigurd wheeled around and was met with a hand clamping down on his mouth, silencing him immediately.

"Relax," soothed Seid. "I wrote them for you."

"Hut hu hant hehen eed"

"I had Dante explain what was needed and I just dictated it to him. Its all been taken care of."

"...Oh." he replied lamely.

Sigurd suddenly came to the realization that he had made a complete ass of himself in public. With what little remaining dignity he could muster up, Sigurd drew the field reports from his pack and placed them on the counter. The receptionist smiled sympathetically at him and pulled a large stamp from under the counter, pressing it against the contract in the book.

"Alright, you're a free hunter now! And a Fourth Rank to boot!" she announced, closing the book. "Your Guild Card will ready within the next few days. Please drop by and pick it up later."

Sigurd gave her a small nod and let out a huge sigh. Pushing through the hunters that still stared at him, he made his way outside to the arch. Seid and Dante trailed him and when he stopped Seid spoke.

"So Sigurd," he said casually. "Your a free hunter now?"

"Yeah, but I honestly have no clue what to do...All my career the Guild has provided for me because I was a Trainer."

"Well to start," began Dante. "The recommendation that Seid gave Cassandra and Bright has sealed them a spot in the upcoming commencement ceremony for the Royal Summit."

"Seriously?" asked Sigurd, gawking. "That's only for the Trainees who achieve above and beyond what is expected of them! Just what did you say in the recommendation?"

"The truth." replied the Royal with a shrug.

"Also, seeing as you had just gotten out of your Training contract, I'd imagine that you have little to no money." Dante continued. Sigurd shuffled uncomfortably, embarrassed as such a blunt appraisal of his current situation. "If you're going to go see those two at the ceremony, you'll need lodgings in the city."

"Okay, but saying it doesn't exactly resolve anything..."

Seid and Dante exchanged a look.

"Well you could always stay with us." Seid said slowly. "We've got plenty of room at the Dragon Fang house!"

Sigurd blinked. "Really? You'd let me stay at your place?"

"Oh, only if you want to," teased the Royal. "I'd understand it if you didn't..."

In response, Sigurd crossed his arm over his chest and bowed at the waist.

"Thank you, Ashvelt Seid. It would be an honor."

"Its getting late," Dante said. "We should get going."

The three hunters left the Guild compound moving swiftly through the cities darkening alleys and streets towards the Residential district. After roughly a half hour of walking the buildings grew farther and farther apart. Large estates were spread about, large iron and mortar fences separating the impressive homes from the rest of the city.

"You guys live here?" asked Sigurd, impressed by the splendor of the various manors.

"Yes, our group lives here together. It was the only part of the city that had enough room for us." replied Seid as they trotted by. "We found this place a few years back. The man who owned it left to see the world, and sold the house to us for a reasonable sum. The neighbors don't like us much though. Think were all barbarians."

"Aristocratic snobs, too afraid to leave the city for fear of monsters." Dante grumbled. "If it wasn't for the Guild they wouldn't be protected as they are now."

As Sigurd's puzzled expression, Seid said. "They don't like village born folks. But forget about them, here we are!"

The three had stopped in front of a large house. It was worn with age and seemed pretty poorly taken care of. The yard was overgrown as if it were hardly ever groomed, and the stone path leading to the entrance was cracked. Branded into the door was an insignia of a dragon's skull with a crescent running through it.

"Home sweet home." Seid sighed wistfully and walked up the path toward the building. Sigurd went to follow but was stopped by Dante's hand on his shoulder.

"Sigurd, remember to make a good impression." he said in his usual monotone. "Try not to do anything that could...upset the Fang. We are an enthusiastic group and hard to stop when we get started."

Dante proceeded up the path, leaving a slightly confused Sigurd to follow. He merely shrugged at the blank hunters cryptic warning. They couldn't possibly be any stranger then Seid and Dante. The Dragon Fang was one of the few groups led by a Royal after all, although he distinctly remembered Merquel referring to them as 'layabouts'. Then again, Merquel seemed to have a bone to pick with Dante. Surely they must be a formidable, trained and disciplined force to be reckoned with. Satisfied with his reasoning Sigurd joined the other two at the entrance.

Warm light spilled from the doorway as it was opened and Sigurd followed apprehensively into the home of the Royal. The room was a well furnished large space, however it looked as if it had been on the losing side of a fight with a tornado. There were mounds of laundry and books piled around the room. Couches and various chairs were placed in no particular layout, just strewn about what seemed to be a sitting area. There was a staircase on the right side of the room, leading to a landing which curved around a corner. There were three more doors against the opposite wall which led into deeper depths of the house. Strange objects and trophies were mounted on the walls, the one thing the Trainer had honestly expected. Magnificent monster parts, beautiful paintings of distant lands, and strange artifacts were hung on the walls and placed on various shelves.

Despite it's chaotic state an eerie silence hung over the house. It gave Sigurd the creeps.

"Uh...where is everyone?" he whispered.

"Hey guys! We're back!" bellowed Seid.

If anyone was in the house, they didn't answer and Seid frowned a little. He waited a few more seconds and his frowned deepened.

"Hrmm..lazy bunch of...damn...layabouts." The Royal muttered to himself as he picked across the room.

Halfway across he rummaged through a pile of stuff and picked up a large leather bound book. Seid gave it a brief experimental toss into the air.

"Ashvelt...what are you-" Sigurd began, but he was but off by Dante shaking his head.

Seid, having apparently judged the book adequate, snapped to a large gong suspended on the wall and chucked the book at it as hard as he could. His aim was true and the book crashed into the gong, a loud clangor echoing throughout the house. A second passed as the din subsided...then the house erupted in activity.

From under one of the many piles of laundry a tall, dark skinned man emerged, yawning and scratching his head sleepily.

"Ugh...what the hell? Where'd I fall asleep this time?" he murmured.

Another, lighter skinned man with long brown bangs jumped up and immediately fell over a couch when he arose from behind it.

"Hey, whats the big idea?" he protested, rubbing the sleep from his obscured eyes.

A rapid series of thumps came from the direction of the stairway, followed by a larger thump and startled cry as someone fell down the remaining stairs onto the landing. A young woman with long fair hair picked herself up, completely out of breath.

"Is...everyone...okay?" she asked between breaths.

From a doorway came an older gentleman, garbed in a blood stained cooks uniform and brandishing a large fork and knife. He was half way through an enraged rant when he entered the sitting room.

"-disturbing my peace! Nearly cut my damn hand off! Prepare for a thrashing!"

Without warning one of the doors was kicked off it's hinges. A short haired, muscular woman, with a simply enormous hammer that looked like it had an _anvil _attached to it, stepped into the newly formed opening and glared around the room. Her skin was very dark, she was clad in a rawhide blacksmith apron and her overall figure was imposing and thick with muscle.

"Alright!" she roared. "Who's getting the foot up the ass!"

Simultaneously, all eyes fell on Seid.

"That wasn't funny Seid!"

"You're lucky you're the leader, I swear..."

"That was completely uncalled for! I was in the best part of my dream and everything!"

Sigurd, needless to say, was taken aback by the group. This was the famous Dragon Fang? They were apparently lazy, volatile, and obviously indifferent to authority. He cast a glance at Dante who seemed almost bored, and understood why the silent hunter had warned him.

After a few moments of shouting, name calling, and general shows of disapproval, Seid cleared his throat and instantly the group fell silent. Perhaps they weren't as ill disciplined as Sigurd had originally thought.

"First of all, I missed you guys too. The Tigrex hunt took longer than anticipated and for that I apologize." said the Royal. "Second, we have a guest."

All eyes fell on Seid and they straightened up, falling into line.

"Everyone, this is Sigurd, a gunner who just left the Academy in his tenure as a Trainer. I've offered him a quarters here for a few days while he gets set up."

Everyone in the odd group latched on the their leaders words while inspecting him, much in the way Seid appraised Cassandra. Sigurd felt like a peace of meat on a butchers hook, being looked over by so many people.

Seid gestured for him to come over and introduce himself to the Dragon Fang.

"Sigurd, this here is Kazu." Seid said gesturing to the tall, dark skinned man.

"Nice to meet you." he said, extending his hand to Sigurd. His head was shaved and he cut a generally imposing figure, but his lighthearted smile made Sigurd feel at ease. The two shook hands.

"Kazu is our group scout and tracker." said the Royal. "And this brat Teto. Our musician and, when required, bait."

The young man who had fallen from behind the couch stepped forward, gave Sigurd an approving nod and shook hands. Teto didn't look that much older than himself and yet was still in the Dragon Fang. He must be a truly gifted hunter.

"This is young lady here is Myra," Seid continued as they made their way over to the woman who had fallen onto the landing. "She is our medic and apothecary."

Myra gave a polite curtsy and Sigurd gave her a nod and smile in return. Although he had a basic field knowledge of the art of medicine as was required by the Guild he could only wonder what mysterious and powerful tinctures a medic of the Dragon Fang could cook up.

"This old codger here is our chef, Namel." Seid motioned at the older man with the chefs uniform. The man had a shrewd smile on his face and spoke in a very eloquent, articulated manor.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance and do please excuse my behavior before. It was quite rude." he said, extending his hand and giving Sigurd's hand a vigorous shake. Although he had the wrinkles around his eyes and a lined face that came with age, it was hard to tell how old the man really was. He had a strange energy and youth about him which was odd. Older veteran hunters were usually very serious.

Before Seid had a chance introduce his last member, a steely arm wrapped around Sigurd's throat and put him into a rough headlock.

"And I'm Kanta! I make all the weapons and most of the armor around here so I'm sure you and I will be great friends!"

With that the large woman released the guest and bellowed with laughter. After hefting her enormous hammer over her shoulder, Kanta walked back down the opening she had created and called over her shoulder, "I'll fix the door tomorrow" before descending.

"Please excuse our friend," sighed Namel, "She is extremely brash and has little applicable social skill. She hardly gets out of her forge you see."

"It's...not a problem." coughed Sigurd, rubbing his neck.

"Well that's everyone!" Seid said, clapping his hands. "Alright guys. Meetings over, now go to bed. Your _real_ beds. And I want this place cleaned up tomorrow."

Everyone in the group groaned.

"That'll take forever!" whined Teto.

"You have to admit that we've shirked on our daily chores a bit _too_ long." mumbled Myra.

"Whaaat? You woke us up to introduce us to a guest and now we gotta try and go back to sleep?" complained Kazu. "It couldn't have waited until morning?"

"Not really." shrugged Seid. "I don't know what you guys would've done to him if you woke up one morning and he was just..._here, _unannounced and for all you know a trespasser."

"Hmmm...good point."

All of the members shuffled up the stairs quietly after bidding their leader good night. Seid turned to Sigurd once the sitting room was empty.

"So lets show you to your room, shall we?"

He followed the Royal up the stairs which led to a corridor of bedrooms followed quietly by Dante. Several of the doors were marked, presumably for each member of the Dragon Fang. Seid led him to a room at the far end of the hall and gestured him inside. The room was a simple guest room, with a large bed in one corner, a small desk beside the bed, and a chest with which to place ones belongings. Sigurd walked in and sat on the bed heavily, already feeling the veil of sleep creeping over him.

"So what did you think about them?" asked Dante abruptly.

"At first I was a bit skeptical, but they're obviously all seriously experienced hunters." Sigurd said thoughtfully. "And I can guess that they all use blades or other close range weapons, if the thick callouses on their hands are anything to judge by. On the outside they look as if they're a bunch of volatile, reckless, mismatched hunters, but really they're well organized and have a deep respect for you." he concluded nodding at Seid.

"Very good." Seid smiled. "Always the keen eye and attention for detail. I like that about you. Well, anyway you'll hear when breakfast is ready. It's first come first serve in this house so if you're late you don't eat. Good night!"

The Royal gave Sigurd one last jaunty wave and excused himself from the room. Dante lingered a second more before giving him a nod and exiting as well.

Rising from the bed, Sigurd shed his armor and pack and put them both in the chest. He was surprised to find that the sheets were extremely soft when compared to the recent inn's sheets. He fell asleep soon after with a smile on his face, his last thought being that he was actually in the house of a Royal.

* * *

As Seid passed through the corridor to his own room a voice whispered out of a crack in one of the doors.

"Is he really that talented?"

Seid stopped. "He's got a lot of potential Myra. I wouldn't have allowed him to stay here otherwise, all of you know that. He's brave, dedicated, has a sharp eye and, seeing as he's a gunner, could be a vital asset to the Dragon Fang."

"But...do you think he could survive the initiation? The Dragons Maw? You know how many hunters with 'potential' have failed and...and died. It's been a _very_ long time since we've had a new member."

"His surviving the Dragon Maw isn't up to me, now is it?"

"Hah...I suppose its not. After all, if none of us could kill that monster his only hope is to try to avoid it."

"I don't know...I think he might just be able to do it. Only time will tell. Good night Myra."

"...Good night Seid."

* * *

**I'm going to start a weekly schedule of updating every Friday. Don't worry. The next chapter will be a very long read. **

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. **


	6. The Dragon Maw

**Written on a lark with another Hunter. **

**Due to length this chapter is separated into two parts. This story is also being written in conjunction with Ezakiel's story For The Living. The two criss-cross characters and an overarching story so if you want the whole picture you'll have to read both. **

**I do not own Monster Hunter.**

* * *

**Part One**

* * *

At first Sigurd didn't know what he was looking at. So his half-asleep brain processed the simple things that he did see. It was round, oddly colored, and taking up a lot of visual space. He then groggily realized that something that took up a lot of space was either very large or very close. Somewhere an instinctual alarm rang deep in his head, _nothing close to the eyes is good! _

Instantly the hunter shot up from his prone position, flung his bed spread in the air, and grabbed blindly. His hands felt momentary squirming resistance through the fabric and he tightened his grip to still the creature. Instead of threatening growls he heard a small muffled voice.

_"_You're...crushing...me...nyaaaa..."

Keeping a firm grip on the creature, Sigurd pulled the spread over his arm to reveal a small cat-like creature struggling to get free. Sigurd recognized a member of the Lynian race when he saw one and slackened his grip. The creature sighed a bit in relief then glared at him.

"Nyaaa! Whats the big deal! I was sent here to wake you up and I get attacked!"

"Wake me...?"

"Yes, wake you! Nyaa, its breakfast time Gastronome! But I'm not letting you leave until you apologize."

With that the Lynian promptly crossed its furry arms and turned its head away from him disdainfully. Inwardly, Sigurd laughed at the felyne's aggressive attitude, despite the fact that _he_ was the one keeping _it_ from leaving.

The audacity of felynes were backed up however, for hunters who wronged one often found their belongings mysteriously liberated from them. Most of the Lynian race was like this however, making up for their short stature and limited strength with an attitude larger than a castle wall. There were some exceptions though, as the feline creatures were about as many and varied in personality and appearance as humans were.

The Lynian race was employed by the Guild to be its small time work force, from gourmet chefs to monster part appraisers. In exchange for their many services the Guild provided protection and stability, two things that aren't guaranteed in typical Lynian tribes. Although some felynes still did reside in their ancestral tribes, monster attacks and territory wars with other Lynians claimed dozens of lives daily.

Sigurd gently released his grip on the pouting felyne and put it on the bed.

"I'm sorry for attacking you so suddenly." he said, bowing his head slightly. "You were just so close and my instincts kicked in."

After a second the felyne turned and put its furry little hand on his head.

"Nyaaaa...its okay, Gastronome." It said, ruffling his hair. "You're just the first guest we've had in a while and I wanted to get a closer look, nya."

"I'm Sigurd. I think I'll be staying here for a while though, at least until I get enough money for a place of my own."

"I'm Pai, and you take as long as you need, okay?"

The Hunter lifted himself from the bed, yawned and stretched while the Pai hopped off and padded to the door.

"Oh! I almost forgot, nya!" she said turning. "Kanta wanted me to say 'Sorry for the inconvenience. You'll get it back soon.'"

With that the felyne showed herself out, leaving Sigurd to ponder her delivered words. The hunter shrugged it off and opened the chest to get his scaled leather pants. As soon as he glanced into the container, Pai's message suddenly made terrible sense.

His faithful Arbalest was missing! Frantically, Sigurd tore out his pack and the rest of his armor to see if his weapon was beneath them, but no such luck. The hunter ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly and sighed. He was going to have a serious talk with the blacksmith over breakfast. She could've at least _asked_ him if she really wanted to do something with it. Feeling naked without his cannon, Sigurd dressed and left the room to confront the thief.

As he rounded the corner of the landing, the hunter was met with a surprising sight. All the piles of laundry, books and other miscellaneous materials that had dominated the room the previous night were either gone or put away neatly. The door that Kanta had previously kicked down in her rage was once again on its hinges. The furniture was even arranged in an acceptable fashion. There had been so much junk strewn around that Sigurd didn't even notice that the floor was carpeted!

Overall, it felt as if he were in a completely different house. Sigurd stepped onto the ground floor and, remembering the door that the group's chef had formerly appeared from, turned the newly polished handle and entered.

The dining room was surprisingly stark of decoration, save for a few paintings of landscapes. Although smaller than the parlor, it was large enough to contain a large table where a breakfast buffet was laid out. The hunter's stomach rumbled slightly as he spotted a particularly juicy slab of glazed meat.

Before he could even sit down and cut a slice of it, a hand shot out, grabbed the entire slab and brought it to a voraciously eating mouth, where it disappeared in a matter of seconds. It was then that Sigurd noticed the other Hunters in the room, or more specifically, the peculiar eating habits of the other hunters in the room.

It was like watching a pack of velociprey. He was surprised that he hadn't noticed the carnage at the table when he walked in. It was certainly loud enough. A maelstrom of snarling, grunting, gobbling and other such animalistic noises rose from the eagerly eating hunters. Sigurd noticed that there were no plates or silverware, which would explain why they were literally wolfing down everything they got their hands on.

Seid in particular was being a very aggressive eater, smashing the hand of Teto to snatch a delicious looking piece of fruit. Before one hunk of meat had passed into Dante's mouth, he already had his hands on another larger portion. Even Myra, who looked like a proper lady when he had first met her, growled venomously at Kazu for reaching across her to get a loaf of bread, which he tore into and consumed seemingly without swallowing at all.

Namel wafted out of another door serenely despite the chaos of table, carrying a steaming plate of cinnamon buns. The greedy hands of the hunters had already taken half of the pastries before the elderly man even set the platter down. Upon spotting the stunned hunter at the door, Namel took him by the arm and brought him into the side door.

The large kitchen area was significantly quieter than the dining room, although no less busy. Felynes garbed in cooking wear similar to Namel's bustled around the kitchen, stirring pots, cooking meat and fish, peeling vegetables, and more. Namel took a second to wipe his hands before addressing Sigurd.

"Quite the spectacle, is it not?"

"...Yeah..."

"I must apologize for their...habits." the old chef chuckled . "It's like this every morning, and they're simply bottomless. This madness once lasted for two whole hours before they passed out on the table!"

Something prodded him in the side, and he looked down to see a felyne offering him a plate of food. Sigurd accepted the plate and murmured a 'thank you'. Namel gestured toward a small side table and the hunters sat.

"So, do you only feed them once a day or what?" asked Sigurd jokingly before taking a bite.

"Yes." replied the old man abruptly. "Except after a hunt, in which case they can eat like this three times."

Sigurd stopped mid-chew. "Only once a day? Don't they get hungry?"

"After eating like that?" scoffed the chef. "I couldn't possibly afford to feed them like that three times a day, every day! And I have to wake up while its still dark outside to begin the preparations before the felynes come in to help!"

"Wow...you must be quite busy."

"Surprisingly, no. After the buffet, or as I like to call it "The Breakfast Massacre", I am free to do as I please for the remainder of the day. The others do the grocery shopping with the felynes, so I usually go back to sleep. After all, an old man needs his rest!"

Namel laughed heartily, while Sigurd smiled and continued to eat. Suddenly the gunner dropped his fork on his plate, remembering his stolen bowgun.

"Is Kanta in there?" he asked, already half out his seat. "I need to-"

"Kanta is in her workshop tinkering with your bowgun as we speak." interrupted Namel holding up a hand. "She came in earlier for breakfast, carrying your bowgun and a stack of diagrams, presumably modifications."

"I guessed why she took it." murmured Sigurd. "It's just that...she could've _asked_ first."

"As I said before," responded chef calmly "Kanta hardly gets out of her forge. Ever. As a result, she's more or less socially awkward around anyone who's not in the Dragon Fang. Trust her, she's brilliant."

Before Sigurd could reply Seid entered, carrying an armful of platters. He sat them on the floor and the felynes pounced on them, each taking a few at a time to a large tub where more felynes scrubbed furiously.

"Thanks guys!" Seid said cheerily. "Excellent as usual!"

Mid turn to the door, the Royal noticed Sigurd and Namel. A wide grin brightened up his face, which was still flecked with bits of breakfast.

"Hey! G'morning Sigurd. How'd you sleep?"

"Like a Gravios." he replied.

"Ha! Well, the ceremony starts in a little while, and we don't wanna miss it! Just let me get cleaned up and we can go."

Sigurd nodded and hastened to finish his breakfast while Namel went to go help the felynes.

Before he went through the door Seid called. "And afterward I've got a surprise for you, on behalf of the Dragon Fang."

The gunner paused momentarily, genuinely surprised. He'd hardly met the group and they were already planning things for him! Could it be that...no, they wouldn't possibly want him in their group. They were highly skilled elite hunters, and he was just a vagrant gunner. Although he cast the thought aside, it still lodged itself in the corner of his mind giving him a fragile sense of hope.

After finishing his meal, Sigurd gave his plate and fork to a nearby felyne and walked into the lobby. Myra sat at a table with various ingredients and fluid filled bottles scattered around her, grinding something intently with a mortar and pestle. Teto lounged on a chair in the corner, fiddling with what looked like an enormous axe-shaped hunk of rock with thick strings that ran horizontally down the center. Kazu was sprawled on the couch snoring softly. The gunner smiled to himself. It was hard to believe that they were one of the best hunting groups in Dondruma, though his evidence proved otherwise.

Sigurd's attention was brought to the stairway as a hooded hunter clad in white Khezu armor descended. At first the gunner was slightly confused. Was this a member of the Dragon Fang that he hadn't met yet? His suspicions were cleared when the hunter lowered his hood to reveal the smiling face of Seid.

"Best to be inconspicuous at these events. I'm sure Kazu wont mind if I borrow his armor anyway. Right Kazu?" called the Royal.

As if he'd heard him, the sleeping hunter snorted loudly and shifted in his sleep. Chuckling, Seid and Sigurd exited the house and walked down the street to the Guild District.

"Where is Dante?" inquired the gunner. "Doesn't he usually follow you around?"

At this Seid chuckled. "Dante has a life too you know. He just went to run some errands, and wont be back until nightfall."

"Does it have anything to do with...Akantor?" asked Sigurd lowering his voice.

The smile dropped off the Royals face.

"...Although the official story is that Akantor was slain in battle by a Royal soon after it was released, Dante is adamant in his belief that it is still out there. The fact that neither the monster nor the Royal were ever heard from again only strengthened his resolve."

"He does seem like the kind of person who would want a body as absolute proof..."

Seid nodded. "He's going to the Observation and Information Department to see what he can dig up. If there's anything he can use to track it down, it'd be there."

"And if he find's out where it is?"

"We do what comes naturally to all Monster Hunters," stated Seid softly. "We hunt."

Sigurd shuddered slightly, remembering the savage berserker that Seid had become in the desert. That vicious smile was still fresh in his memory, along with the cries of the beasts falling under his blade.

"But now is no time to speak of such serious topics, look!"

The gunner was slightly surprised that they had arrived in the Guild District so soon. Even more surprising was the procession that parted the normally busy streets as well as the thick crowd that had gathered to watch. From the placement of the flying pennants, the line was short and contained maybe two dozen people. At the head of the procession, a large dais was lifted proudly into the air for all to see by four pallbearers. Set firmly into the dais was an enormous, brilliant jewel.

The crimson gem was spherical at the its base and warped upward like a crystallized flame. Sigurd instantly recognized it as one of the treasures of the Guild, the Dragon Heart. It was said that the Dragon Heart was stolen from a Lao Shan Lung back when the Guild was founded, and ever since then the dragons have tried attack the city to retrieve it. The ruby was only brought out for very special occasions, such as the Commencement Ceremony, or the induction of a new Royal. During these special ceremonies Hunters traditionally swore their oath of fealty to the Guild upon the stone.

Sigurd watched with slight envy, as he himself had not been able to swear his oath upon the Dragon Heart. However he couldn't help but feel pride for Cassandra and Bright, two of his trainees who were somewhere in the procession and about become official members of the Guild.

Seid whistled upon seeing the Dragon Heart.

"Well it never gets any less impressive, that's for sure."

"We should make our way to the arena." suggested Sigurd. "If we make it there before the parade does, we wont have to wait to find seats."

The hooded Royal nodded and they pushed through the thickening crowd to get to the Arena. Sigurd expected at any second for Seid to be discovered, but the disguise seemed to work better than he'd thought. A few forward thinkers were already flowing into the side entrances, hoping to get a good seat before the place became packed with people. Once they entered, Sigurd took the chance to look around. The arena was completely made of stone and the sloping architecture vaguely reminded him of Eden, albeit on a much smaller scale. On the floor of the circular arena were two gates, placed fifty feet opposite each other.

Wisely, Seid chose a front seat midway between the gates so that they would be able to see both portals equally. Before long, Hunters and pedestrians alike filled in all the seats. An air of anticipation and excitement pervaded the entire arena and the dull roar of people talking only increased the feeling. Suddenly a familiar fanfare could be heard, one of the gates lifted and the seats exploded with cheers.

From his seat, the gunner could clearly see the pennant bearers flying the banner of the Guild, marching out first and set their poles in the center of the arena. Not far behind them strode a very large man with reddish mane-like hair and a thick beard. The man was clad in a knee-length black linen coat trimmed with red, with an undershirt and pants in the same style.

Head Administrator Temura was the leader of the Hunters Guild in Minegarde and, back in his glory days, its champion. He still held that title, since no one ever managed to accomplish something more impressive than repelling the first onslaught of the legendary black dragon, Fatalis. However, five years after that his father, Ashvelt "Dark Knight" Mordecai, went missing after challenging Akantor. Temura received word of Mordecai being assumed dead and never again set out to hunt, and instead concentrating solely on his administrative duties.

Sigurd watched as he crossed the arena floor and stopped in the center. Temura made a gesture at the gate, and the crowd cheered with renewed vigor as the Trainees began filing out in two columns. Slowly, they stopped in front of the Head Administrator and began to form rows, five across each.

Sigurd couldn't help but add his voice to the loud cheers when he spotted Cassandra and Bright walk nervously across the arena to join the others. Seid also cheered enthusiastically, almost shaking the hood off in his fervor. A few more of the initiates stepped into line until there were twenty in total. After the last of them had fallen into line, the dais holding the Dragon Heart was carried out and placed between Temura and the Trainees. Simultaneously the Trainees all fell to one knee, bowed their heads and crossed their right arms over their chest. Nodding to himself, the Head Administrator gestured for silence.

"Brothers, sisters, citizens of Dondruma, we have gathered here today to bear witness to the Initiation of these Trainees who have exceeded the expectations set before them and wish to join our Guild of Monster Hunters." Temura's voice fit his appearance perfectly; booming, firm, and matter-of-fact. Applause rose from the crowd and was quickly silenced with another gesture.

"Let it be known that the oath that you will swear binds you to the Monster Hunters Guild for life." He said, addressing the Trainees. "Should you ever break your oath, you will be cast out and left without the chance to renew it! You will be excommunicated an marked as a traitor to the Guild forever! Do you accept this?"

As one the Trainees replied. "Aye!"

"Are you willing to devote your life to the people?"

"Aye!"

"Are you willing to be ever faithful to the statutes of the Hunters Guild?

"Aye!"

"Are you willing to carry out your duties to the best of your abilities?"

"Aye!"

" Are you willing to be steadfast and support your fellow brothers and sisters?"

"Aye!"

"Are you willing to serve the Guild in mind, body and spirit until your dying day?"

"Aye!"

"Are you willing you swear this upon your very life?"

"_Aye!_"

"Then lay your hand on the Dragon Heart, speak your name, and swear before all of these witnesses that you will serve the Monster Hunters Guild!"

One by one the trainees walked up, placed their hands on the Dragon Heart and bound themselves to the Guild. After each vow, Temura nodded at the new Hunter curtly, who bowed deeply in return and walked back to his or her place. Sigurd felt the Royal pat him on the back when Cassandra and Bright walked up and were sworn into the Guild. The process took about thirty minutes and ran smoothly the entire time. After the last Trainee bound herself to the Guild, the Head Administrator spoke once more.

"Rise, rise all of you! I welcome you into the ranks of the Guild of the Monster Hunters. Become strong and wear your conquests as proof of your strength! The words have been spoken. Now let your deeds follow in their footsteps."

With that Temura gestured at the new hunters, presenting them to the audience who once again exploded into cheers. Sigurd could see Cassandra grinning like a fool, while Bright seemed simply dumbfounded. The other new hunters were likewise split between the two expressions.

Seid tugged at the gunners arm and pointed toward the exit, saying something that Sigurd couldn't hear over the noise. He said something that was once again lost in the noise, but made a walking gesture toward the exit. The gunner understood and pushed through the seats to leave.

After being in the crowded arena for so long, it the still busy city street seemed almost quiet.

"Why did you want to leave so suddenly?" inquired Sigurd.

"We've got to hurry if we want to make it in time for the surprise." stated Seid.

Without another word, the Royal set off briskly in the direction of the Residential District. Sigurd couldn't help but get butterflies as he followed close behind. The small hope of joining the Dragon Fang quickly overpowered his doubts and made his heart pound with anticipation. After a few minutes of silent travel, they arrived at the gate of Seid's home. The Royal told Sigurd to wait at the gate, while he hastily entered the manor.

Sigurd thought he was going to pass out. Even though he had probably only waited for a few minutes, it felt like days. Finally the door cracked open a fraction and a hand slipped out, beckoned to him once and retreated. Straining to keep himself from bolting down the cracked path, Sigurd slowly walked to the door and entered.

All of the Dragon Fang were spread in a closed semicircle around the door with Seid, and now Sigurd, at the center. As soon as he entered, the door was closed behind him softly. The gunner couldn't help but notice that Seid was wearing his full set of Silver Rathalos armor, arms crossed in front of his chest. A solemn air hung over the entire gathering. Although he was more nervous than he had ever been in his life, Sigurd kept a blank face.

"Sigurd, I'll be blunt with you." said Seid from behind his helmet. "You have amazing talent, potential and skill. On behalf of the Dragon Fang we would like you to join our group. Do you accept?"

The gunner couldn't speak. Although he was slightly surprised at the direct delivery, he was still struck dumb by the proposal. He liked to think of himself as a well collected, down-to-earth man, but this...this flipped his universe up-side-down. To join a group so soon after becoming a free hunter? And the Dragon Fang no less? Was he dreaming?

"You might want to say 'yes'." whispered Myra softly. "And close your mouth."

"O-of course I accept!" blathered Sigurd. "I mean, it would be an honor to be a part of such a prestigious group."

"As you know, we are very selective of those we chose to join us." added the Royal, pacing slowly, "To be a true member of the Dragon Fang, you must undergo a trial. An initiation, of sorts. We will begin now. First you must close your eyes."

Although this request struck Sigurd as a bit odd he unquestioningly obliged.

"And second," Seid stated with a hint of regret. "Try to forgive me."

Without warning, a wet cloth snaked itself tightly around his head from behind. A very alarmed Sigurd tried to rip the fabric from his face, to lash out, but his limbs suddenly felt so heavy. After a second of futile struggling, the gunner was out cold.

Seid nodded silently to Kazu, who removed his tranquilizer soaked cloth and dragged the limp form to its feet. Myra placed herself under the other arm, and opened the door. Since everyone would still be at the arena, they would raise no alarms as they transported the gunner to his destination. The Royal cast one last look at the Sigurd, trying not to think that he had sent another hunter to their death.

* * *

**Part Two**

* * *

Sigurd remembered being carried somewhere very swiftly. His drug addled brain tried to process the information his body was sending it; the constant rocking motion, muted voices, but couldn't seem to get a grasp on anything coherent. It was like he was in a tunnel. Everything came to him muted and dull, blunted by the effects of the tranquilizer. A few times he came out of his tunnel, moaning and trying to regain control of his body only to have the wet cloth pressed against his face, sending him back in. Eventually, he resigned himself to the darkness and slept.

Sigurd woke once again, fully expecting the cloth to ease him back into unconsciousness but this time it didn't come. As his body began to shake off the effects of the drug he opened his eyes, squinting against the sun directly over head. He was laying on a flat surface covered by a thin blanket with the sun warming his bare toes. The sky was dotted with the occasional cloud and seagulls floated on the breeze, calling to one another.

Sigurd managed to sit up and he became aware of the constant lapping noises beneath him. A wooden deck continued out a few feet in front of him before sloping onto a breathtaking tropical beach. A large wall of stone cut off the area directly in front of him, but to the left the sand continued along the shore and to the right sloped upward into a jungle path.

He swung his legs over the edge of the hard bed, and only when the grainy wooden surface touched his bare feet did he notice that he wasn't wearing any shoes. Sigurd threw the blanket off of himself and noticed that the wasn't wearing any protective gear at all, just a simple pair of shorts and a worn shirt.

The shock of an unfamiliar setting coupled with not having his armor or his weapon of choice, was too much. The hunter grasped his head in his hands, hysteria rising in his chest with each passing second.

"What the hell is going on?" he whispered "Why am I...? Where...?"

Before the cold fingers of panic could grip his heart, his logical side reminded him of a single important fact; _"You were Trained for this."_

Sigurd blinked. He raised his head from his hands as the realization dawned on him. He _had_ been trained for this, for situations exactly like this. Hell, he had trained others for this! The fact drove back the clawing panic, steeled his resolve. Emboldened, Sigurd shot to his feet...and immediately crumpled to the deck. The hunter laughed at himself and massaged his numb legs. One step at a time then.

After he had gotten enough feeling in his legs to stand, Sigurd stepped into the cool sands of the beach. A small chest sat just off the surf, previously invisible from his position on the boat. With curiosity, the hunter opened the chest and viewed its contents.

The first thing he pulled out was a simple sword and a small round shield. Sigurd frowned. It had been a long time since he had used a short range weapon. He fastened the shield onto his left arm and noticed that it was a little bit heavy, but not enough to keep him from defending himself if need be. Next, he swung the sword experimentally, noting that it had excellent balance but was still a bit awkward for him to wield. Either way, it was great to at least have a suitable weapon to defend himself with.

Tucking the sword under his arm, Sigurd checked the remaining contents of the chest. He was grateful for the carving knife and belt, to which he strapped both blades, and shouldered the small pack. A bit disappointed, the hunter checked the chest again to make sure that there was nothing that he had missed and closed it.

Now to decide which way to go. Sigurd looked from the jungle area to the beach and immediately chose the beach. He would explore the jungle when he had a better idea of where he was. As it was now, he didn't have the confidence to brave the dark jungle.

As he walked along the beach Sigurd mulled over his displacement. He remembered being excited over Seid wanting him to join the Dragon Fang then the Royal asking him to close his eyes for an initiation...The hunter stopped. Then he was deliberately drugged and marooned on this island! Why? Sigurd had no clue but it didn't stop him from getting pissed. He would've gone to the island willingly if Seid had asked him to! What was it with these people and their fear of asking? Even if this was all a part of the initiation it was still utter wyvern shit. If he got back, no, _when_ he got back he was going to give the Royal a piece of his mind. Rank be damned, the man sure deserved it!

"I'll give him a good one right in the face." he said aloud clenching his fist. "Then maybe another in the gut while I'm at it."

Also, the boat couldn't have landed itself, nor the chest conveniently fall out where he could see it as soon as he got off. Sigurd knew for a fact that he couldn't pilot a boat and seeing as it wasn't the least bit damaged, he surmised that there was another person already on the island with him. Most likely hiding, watching him, and waiting. For what, Sigurd also had no clue but if he caught this person he would force them to pilot the boat back to Minegarde one way or another.

Warmed by the thought, Sigurd continued along the long stretch of beach. After a while he reached a lightly forested area; palm trees and other plants taking up a good amount of space behind the sandy beach. It was cut off from the expanse of the jungle by a large rock wall, from what he could see. Just off the beach was what looked like a ruined building, accessible by the stretch of sand just barely under the water. The hunter decided to explore the area around the palms, maybe he could find some medicinal herbs or a few loose whetstones in the rock face.

Sigurd kept low to the ground as he searched for anything of use. After a few tedious minutes of scanning, he found the plant he was looking for a little ways off at the foot of a purple (?) tree. Crawling swiftly, he made his way to the herb and picked several, making sure to pull them up by the roots and he placed them in the bag.

As he harvested the herbs, the hunter looked at the strange tree casually. He had never seen such an oddly colored tree, and his eyes followed it up the trunk until...Sigurd's blood ran cold. It wasn't a tree he was looking at.

_It was a leg. _

A leg connected to a torso about as high off the ground as he was tall. A wickedly barbed tail jutted out from the other direction, swaying lightly. He was scant inches away from a wyvern he had never even seen before.

"You've got to be kidding me..." he whispered, a bit too loudly.

Before he could cover his mouth the purple wyvern turned swiftly revealing a very sharp, battle scarred beak and one eye. The other one had been damaged by what looked like a large cut. It vaguely resembled a Kut-Ku, if a Kut ku had gone up a few steps on the evolutionary ladder.

For a second they just regarded one another silently; Sigurd thinking of ways to escape, the monster wondering what the strange creature by its feet was. Then a spark of recognition flared in its eyes when it caught a glint of sunlight from the hunter's sword.

Sigurd took that moment to scramble to his feet and bolt away while the monster reared back and roared.

* * *

"Announcing the esteemed Ashvelt "Silver King" Seid!" called the herald from the large doors.

Seid sighed and entered the ornate room. The Royal really didn't like having people treat him like he was like...well Royalty but it came with the position. He was clad in his full set of Silver Rathalos armor with his helmet tucked under one arm. As he passed into the large conference room the guards at the door saluted stiffly making him sigh again.

The enormous circle of a room was spacious, or at least gave the illusion of spaciousness, with its vaulted roof and three large stained glass windows opposite the door. Before the stained glass windows was a single desk, its surface bare. At the center of the room, facing the window, was a large crescent table with ten distinct seats spaced apart, like a 'c' with the bare desk just outside the incomplete circle. The room contained no decorations upon its walls, giving it a serious yet open feeling. It was the place where matters of great importance were discussed, concerning the entire Hunters Guild worldwide. The Royal noticed that a few of the seats in the crescent were already occupied, and swiftly made his way to the seat with a large silver wing for a backrest.

"You took your sweet time didn't you?" asked a dark silky voice.

"I had something very important to do yesterday, Vindel. Family business. Sorry if I held up the proceedings a bit."

The bald Royal snorted and lounged back in his chair carved out of four enormous pitch black Diablos horns. He wore a modified form of leather armor, that utilized the thick material that came from Diablos wings.

"Either way, your absence was inexcusable! Without you we had to delay the Conference," scolded a stern voice. "Besides myself, you are the only Royal who takes residence in Dondruma, and as such you are expected be on time."

Seid palmed his face and groaned. He knew he would hear no end of it from Garland. Ashvelt "Redmane" Garland was the stout leader of the Guild Guards in Dondruma and the eldest of the Royals. The man was like the ideal commander; broad shoulders, strong jaw, and a commanding presence. He face showed the lines of age, but was completely thrown off by his burning red mohawk. His red scaled armor crafted from a slain Teostra, was equally impressive and a testament to his strength. Despite his eccentric hair he was taken very seriously by Royal and hunter alike, due to his famed mastery of the extremely dangerous Gunlance.

"Look," said Seid, placing his helmet on the table, "I'm sorry I was absent and accept any punishment you are willing to give me."

"The matter of disciplining you is not for me to decide," stated Garland. "Head Administrator Temura will surely give you a fair punishment."

"Maybe he'll station you at the Academy for a month," mused Vindel "We all know how much you like it there..."

"Don't be such a bully Vindel." scolded a new, feminine voice. "As I recall, a Royal currently under your jurisdiction is absent as well."

"Someone must maintain the Eden outpost while I am away." replied Sandstorm stiffly. "Unlike you Celia, certain people have other responsibilities."

Celia simply shrugged and took her place at the table, her long golden hair flowing over the small backrest crafted from an intact Lunastra crest. Ashvelt "Blueflame" Celia's armor made her look like real Royalty, its flowing cerulean scales adorned with an inlay of gold at the seams. She could afford to dress fancifully, for her expertise with all manor of long range weaponry left her mostly untouched in battle.

"Hey, Celia. How was the Gessarn continent?" asked Seid.

"Hot and wet." She replied, pouting. "You'd think that a place with so much water would be a lot cooler."

"You think the jungles are tough, try mountains!" boomed a voice. "Mountains and volcanoes as far as the eye can see!"

"Nobody cares about your mountains or volcanoes in the Shathor continent, Rulk." came the smooth reply.

"Well nobody cares about your snow and ice in the Northern Wasteland of Shathor, Aroza."

"Stop being childish."

"Stop being an idiot."

"Takes one to know one."

"Then you'd know pretty well!"

The four seated Royals sighed simultaneously. Ashvelt "White Ghost" Aroza of the Northern Outpost and Ashvelt "Rock Jaw" Rulk never did get along. It could have been due to the fact that they were about as opposite as night and day. While Aroza dealt with the menacing dragons and creatures in the snow and ice, Rulk battled the violent and resilient beasts of the volcanoes and mountains. Aroza wore an easily mobile yet protective set of armor made from Blangonga materials, while Rulk was a walking juggernaut in his Gravios carapace armor. Although they argued like children, they did have a deep respect for each other underneath the rivalry.

"Aroza! Rulk! Contain yourselves and be seated!" barked Garland.

Sulkily, Aroza sat in his seat made from a stuffed Blangonga while Rulk plopped into his Gravios jaw chair, deliberately placed across from each other.

"Whoa!" cried a voice. "Seid's actually here? Rulk and Aroza are in the same room _not_ arguing? I can hear the wing beats of Fatalis already."

"Ha, Ha, Ha. Iilo you're so funny." Celia commented dryly.

"You know it, baby." replied the Royal strutting to his seat with a simple Kirin head at the top.

As the youngest Royal, Ashvelt "Thunder Spear" Iilo was as arrogant as they come, rivaled only by Merquel. At least Merquel had a sense of limits, however thin. Iilo wasn't all bark and no bite however, as he proudly held the position of best tracker in the Guild. His legendary tracking of a rare and elusive Kirin in he middle of a blizzard was one of many claims to fame. Despite his valuable skill, the Royal was reckless to the point of endangering himself, shown in his scanty Kirin armor. The rest of the Royals simply attributed his behavior to his youth and hoped he would outgrow his foolishness with time.

"Ah, I see everyone's arrived." stated Temura entering the conference room, as always followed by his right hand man, Liam, whom he trusted unconditionally. "We'll continue this later, Raios."

The Royal at his side nodded and took his simple wooden seat, simple leather armor creaking with use. Ashvelt "Dawn Wings" Raios was different from the other Royals who were regularly stationed at the various continents the Guild had established. As opposed to a regular hunter, "Dawn Wings" was a surveyor, the Head Surveyor to be specific. Surveyors were a special branch of hunter who traveled the entire world, filling in the blank spaces in the maps, recording monster populations and locations among other things. Raios was rarely seen by any of the other Royals and briefly if at all, for his duties never allowed him to stay too long in one place.

There was a fourth person who followed closely behind Raios. Seid was quite speechless when he saw her. It took him some time to link a name to this face but eventually he recognized her as Administrator Erris from Pokke, and the reason why his tongue seemed tied was her attire. Just like Iilo, she too wore Kirin armor, though it was somewhat exaggerated seeing as it was mostly pelt, and it also covered only certain parts of her body, exposing her upper thigs, upper arms and a fair bit of midriff. While Iilo looked somewhat funny in it, Erris' shapely figure made it fit her perfectly. There was a giant, nasty looking scar covering her entire right arm. The Silver King found himself having a hard time keeping his gaze on her face.

Confused by Temura's earlier statement, which eventually made it's way to his brain after a second, Seid looked around and noticed three empty seats.

"I know why Merquel isn't here, but what about Andere and Bagelza?"

"You mean what about Andere." stated a quiet voice.

The Silver King did a double take. When did Bagelza get there? Her black leather seat was empty a second ago! The raven-haired hunter reclined slightly, the pale skeletal fragments of her armor contrasting against the mysterious black cloth. She seemed to look through him with her bottomless black eyes, not unlike Dante's.. Then again it is to be expected from Ashvelt "Moonshade" Bagelza, leader of the silent, aloof Moonshades.

Besides Garland, Vindel and Seid, Bagelza was the only other Royal to have a following in the Guild. And unlike any other group in the Guild, the Moonshades were willing to share their ranged hunting and trapping prowess...for the right price. Although this earned them the disdain of the other Royals and the spiteful title of mercenaries, anyone who ever hired a Moonshade was forced to admit that their aid is worth every zenny.

"The late Ashvelt "Swordmage" Andere has passed away unfortunately." said Temura taking his seat at the blank bureau. "But that will be addressed now that everyone is present..."

Seid coughed sheepishly. While he was talking, Erris seated herself in Andere's Chameleos Tail chair, while Liam stood behind and to the side of Temura.

The Head Administrator sat erect. "Well, now that everyone is accounted for, let the Royal Conference commence."

* * *

Sigurd watched the Garuga from the dense foliage of the palm tree,. The monster yawned and shook its head, completely oblivious to the hunter. He watched with growing anticipation as the Garuga walked slowly through the clearing, ignoring the kelbi that fed in the area. Suddenly the monsters head snapped up, sniffing the air until its eyes fell upon a sizable chunk of raw meat resting on the ground beneath a tree. As the creature approached his hiding place Sigurd tensed. This was where his plan could succeed or fail.

The previous day when the Garuga had attacked it seemed to have caught his scent. For the rest of the day, when he went into the jungle to forage for food, the wyvern would appear within minutes to flush him out. So that night Sigurd decided to try and slay the monster, for it would be a huge load off his back to search for something to eat without having to listen for wing beats or heavy steps.

However, after watching the monster easily fend off a pack of Congas earlier that day, he was reluctant to get anywhere near it. Sigurd had seen many wyverns, but none had ever fought as viciously as the enraged Garuga. It was as if every part of the wyvern was designed for combat. The pronged tail was an especially nasty piece of work. He watched a Conga stabbed in its thigh by the flailing extremity and within the span of a minute fall down dead. Sigurd had yet to find any herbs that warded the effects of poison and lacked any kind of armor, so he opted for guerrilla attacks instead.

His plan was simple. The meat rested atop a deep pitfall trap that had taken him most of the night to dig and cover. After the Garuga was caught in it, he'd jump down and try to sever its head or at the very least blind the wyvern by stabbing its remaining eye. Sigurd smiled a predatory smile and waited for his prey to fall into the trap. The Garuga sniffed the gory chunk with interest and stepped just outside the lip of the trap.

"Come on...Come on..." he whispered.

As if hearing him, the wyvern took one heavy step forward.

With a rushing snap the thin webbing that covered the pit fell inward, weighed down by the surprised Garuga. Sigurd lept out of the tree away from the wyvern and quickly unsheathed his blade. He wouldn't get a second chance and every second counted.

Before the hunter could even begin to approach it, the Garuga bat its wings and flew backwards buffeting him with a gust of wind. It took a moment before Sigurd realized that before the wyvern had fallen completely into the trap it somehow regained itself and evaded it! Not only did his trap fail, but now he was in plain sight of the monster. Suddenly the hunter had become the hunted.

Sigurd acted before he could think and sprinted toward the recovering monster. It was as if something...primal had awakened inside him, intent only on closing the distance and causing as much damage as humanly possibly. However, he got within ten feet before it unleashed a particularly nasty surprise. With a raspy roar, the monster reared back its head and blasted a _fireball_ from its beak. The fiery missile covered the gap between them with alarming speed. Instinctively Sigurd raised his shield to his chest and received the impact.

It was as if a Gravios had kicked his chest. Deep in his head he heard a loud pop and all the air was driven from his lungs. The fireball carried him several feet back before dissipating. Somewhere in the flight he lost grip of his sword and landed rolling in a heap. After taking a gasping breath Sigurd threw himself several feet to the side. A second later a large purple talon crushed the area where he had previously landed. Not even bothering to look behind him, the hunter spotted his sword lying in the dirt and immediately sprinted to pluck it up. Without stopping, Sigurd snatched up the blade and whipped around, just barely slipping, to return to the monster.

The Garuga had just regained its footing when Sigurd mounted his offensive. Using the momentum to his advantage he slashed deep into the leg of the beast from behind and rolled beneath the head swiftly. The hunter ignored the ear-piercing shriek of pain and cut at the barbs on the tip of its wing, the gash exposing raw bone. The monster backpedaled and Sigurd took the moment to stab the sword through its talon, pinning it to the ground. Unable to complete the step with its foot pinned the Garuga slipped and fell.

Frantically the Garuga flailed in an attempt to repel the hunter. Seizing a moment Sigurd grabbed the hilt of his sword and wedged it out, trying to damage its maimed leg further. An alarm rang deep in his head as something sped toward him from his periphery. The barbed tail! One scratch from that and he was finished! Sigurd tried to lift his shield but was answered with screaming pain in his left shoulder.

At the last second he threw himself backwards and narrowly avoided the deadly extremity, which passed through the air with a loud _woosh_! In the middle of his back roll Sigurd's head abruptly struck a rock. Hard. Sparks exploded before his eyes as he lost control of his movement and sprawled onto his side, groaning.

He watched helplessly as the wyvern slowly regained itself, only to scream with pain as its full weight fell upon its maimed leg. For a second the Garuga stared at the fallen hunter, as if deliberating whether to finish him off or not. A gout of blood and another wave of searing pain was all the answer it needed. Without another glance the Garuga spread its wings, crying out a bit at the maimed muscle tissue, and dragged itself laboriously into the sky. After a few moments the beast was gone.

Sigurd rolled onto his back and sat up as the adrenaline ebbed from his system, making him painfully aware of his various injuries. His fingers and wrist throbbed from his white-knuckle grip on the sword and his legs burned from overexertion.

The hunter stabbed his blade into the dirt and moved to unstrap his shield. Sigurd gasped sharply and arched his back in pain the moment its weight shifted from one of the undone clasps. Raw agony ran up the entire length of his arm, its epicenter at his shoulder.

Another wave of pain crashed against the inside of his skull as he attempted to move the extremity in vain. His shoulder was most likely dislocated and he was definitely not looking forward to what he had to do next. After most of the pain had subsided and he caught his breath Sigurd grasped a thick stick and bit into it, preparing for the ordeal. Hot tears poured from his eyes as he gripped his shoulder tightly with his right hand. Trying to ignore the blinding pain and nearly snapping the stick in the process, he adjusted his left arm so it was aligned and pushed it forcefully back into place with an audible _'Pop'_. He collapsed wearily onto his back gasping and almost managed to smile as the pain gradually left. Well, the pain in his arm at least.

It was an effort to sit up and even more so to stand. Somehow he managed both without puking, falling over or any combination of the two. Dragging his feet with exhaustion, Sigurd trudged back toward his camp loathing every step. Despite his grim demeanor, a smile gradually appeared on his face. He had _won_ this round _and_ managed to grievously injure the Garuga as well. Although he felt like a living bruise the victorious feeling in his chest gave him just enough energy to make it back to the boat. He hardly made it onto the edge of the hard bed before passing out.

Silently, a figure tip-toed from its hiding place in the foliage and tilted its head at the hunter in a questioning manor. It then looked over the treetops and back at him, as if trying to work out a puzzle. As realization dawned a wolfish smile seized its features. Barely containing its excitement the figure tip-toed back into its hiding place to continue its vigil.

"Maybe he was right..."

* * *

Liam looked at Erris. "I am sure that all of you are wondering why His Lordship brought Pokke village's Administrator, Erris, to this meeting. The reason is that none of you have been recently stationed in the northern mountains of Minegarde, so he asked her to report in person the statistics in that region. She will speak and be considered as if she were a Royal and given as much respect."

She nodded and exchanged glances with everyone present. Curiously, when her eyes fell on Seid, she winked at him. He could only raise an eyebrow. He had only met her occasionally, since he didn't hunt all that much in the north. The last time was several months ago but she seemed to have no problem recognizing him.

Then Temura spoke up. "As usual, we shall start with your reports. Garland, please begin."

Garland nodded and looked at his fellow Royals. "I have kept a close eye on the area around Dondruma, and I have troubling news. As you all know, the monsters seem naturally drawn to the Dragon Heart, and thus frequently attack our city. However, their numbers have increased exponentially as of late. We can still hold them off, but they're far more persistent than they used to be."

Temuras face was blank as he nodded and looked at Seid. "What can you report, Seid?"

He reflected on what he had seen and heard before he answered. "Well, I kinda have to back up Garland. Everywhere I went, there were more monsters. I thought it to be just a coincidence, but apparently it wasn't. It's not just isolated in a certain region either, the population boom is everywhere."

A disapproving wrinkle appeared between Temuras eyes, then he turned to the next Royal. "And you, Vindel?"

The Sandstorm steepled his fingers. "Fort Eden has been attacked quite fiercely as of late. The monsters are also becoming more aggressive and violent with each passing day.. There had been a particularly strong white Monoblos pestering us for quite some time, but that has been taken care off."

Seid vaguely remembered this. During their stay in Eden, he had met some of Dantes acquaintances, Ezakiel, Zeshen and Dalmin, if he recalled correctly. They were also from Pokke. They had asked him to introduce them to Vindel, since they had come for that Monoblos. Apparently, they defeated it. What was really strange was that they had been accompanied by Reena, Temuras only daughter. He was puzzled over why Vindel didn't mention her.

Vindel continued. "From what I gathered and saw for myself, the monsters are acting up a lot more than usual."

Temuras face was completely neutral as he went on. "Celia, how is the situation in Gessarn?"

The blonde Royal made a face. "It was horrible. The continent is literally flocking with monsters."

At this Iilo snorted and rolled his eyes. "Flocking with what monsters? Them Vespoids huh? I bet they disturbed your beauty sleep, princess." He leaned back grinning as if he were savoring a triumph.

Seid could see that Temura was frowning at him, but before the Head Administrator could scold Iilo, Celia beat him to the punch. She gave Iilo her most seductive smile, but her eyes stayed cold.

"Don't you know that it's childish to put something down just because you can't have it? Honestly, how do you plan on finding a nice girl with such a foul mouth?"

Iilo grunted and glared at her but stayed silent, so she continued her report. "It was mostly Congalalas and Kut-Ku's, but their numbers_ were_ unsettling. There were also Rathians, even rare Pink ones. All of them were also incredibly violent."

"What did Head Administrator Kirst say?" Temura asked.

"She's worried, at least as far as I could tell. She was quite adamant that they would overcome this population boom, just like they did with every problem before."

"But she does consider it a problem." interjected Seid.

Temura nodded. "It's not like her to worry overmuch, that's true." He thought for a moment. "So the situation on the other continents isn't much better." He looked up again. "Rulk. Aroza. How are Shathor and the Northern Wastes?"

Aroza spoke first. "In the northern Tundra I encountered several fierce monsters. Mostly Blangongas and mass Giaprey-packs but, just like in Gessarn, their numbers were by far higher than usual. There even was a Rajang, though I had the luck to escape that encounter with my life."

Rulk yawned at this. "Peanuts. Your fluffy snow beasts are a far smaller threat than those I found in the Volcanoes to the south! There were Gravios', Shogun Ceanataurs and Lavasioths! I also found not only one, but two Rajangs! I even managed to fight one off!

Aroza rolled his eyes and clapped his hands in mock applause. "Ooh, great. You did such a splendid job that you earned yourself a cookie. I'll give it to you once this conference is over."

Rulk clenched his fist. "Then I'll return the favor and give you some knuckle-sandwiches."

"Is that so? Well, in that case-"

"Silence you two!" barked Temura.. "This is a serious conference, not primary training. If you can't control your tempers, I will have your assignments switched." He shot them a final glare for good measure, then addressed Rulk. "You have met Head Administrator Ganos, correct?"

The Royal nodded. "He told me that he had some of his specialists dig through the archives, and they verified that there has never been a higher population density before. Of course he's uneasy, but he still doesn't want any support from the other continents."

At this Temura frowned. "His pride could become a problem. Then again it is his jurisdiction. But I will not hesitate to send aid when and if I consider it needed." Then he looked at Iilo. "What can you add, Iilo?"

Being addressed by his superior caused the Royal to sit straight in the chair he had so lazily rested in before.

"I've been to the swamps and marshes of our continent, mostly. With my _exceptional_ tracking skills..." The others rolled their eyes. "...I found out that there have been increases in the monster population as well. There were a few more Ioprey then normal, but I don't think it's such a problem, regardless of what everyone else thinks."

This earned him scolding looks from his comrades, Seid included. "And what makes you think that we're exaggerating?" he asked calmly.

Iilo shrugged. "Why're you making such a fuss about them? There are more monsters, so we do more hunting. It's that simple."

"It isn't that simple," Garland replied sternly.. "In fact, it's not simple at all. We're already doing what we can, and their numbers just keep growing. To hunt more, we need more hunters, and our population doesn't grow as fast as that of the monsters. Of course, if you would start to spend more time on hunting and less time on acting like a fool, it would be at least a slight improvement."

Again, Iilo lapsed into bitter silence. Seid was sure that he had an insulting remark on the tip of his tongue, but even he knew that it would be useless to argue. Garland had already brought dragons to their knees when Iilo was still chasing pigs with a wooden stick.

Moving on, Temura looked at Bagelza. "What do you have to report, Bagelza?"

She returned his gaze without moving a muscle. "The Moonshades have had more requests than usual."

He was silent for some time, obviously waiting for her to continue, but she seemed to consider this sufficient. Apparently she had agreed with the others, also indicating that there were more monsters than normal, but Seid briefly wondered why she had to let everyone figure it out instead of simply saying it. He shrugged it off. Probably a Moonshade thing.

Next in line was Erris. She had been silent for the entire conference, but had paid close attention. "Unfortunately, my report isn't any better than the others. My scouts have confirmed several sightings of Bulldromes, Blangongas and even some Tigrex's. Though I don't have any Rajangs..." She briefly smirked at Rulk and Aroza, who looked somewhat awkward. "...I have a possible sighting of a Kushala Daora."

The others raised their eyebrows at this. None of them had ever done much more than repel such a legendary, elusive and destructive Elder Dragon on their travels. "Of course, no one has actually seen it. But on the peak of a mountain I found a shed shell where there hasn't been one before, so I'm pretty sure that it's still around."

Then, after a nod from Temura, Raios spoke up. "Unfortunately, my news isn't any better than Administrator Erris'. I was traveling deep in the Dragon Lands in an attempt to begin a map of the area. What I saw disturbed me greatly. There were two Lao Shan Lungs heading directly for the Fortress." There was more than one sharply inhaled breath form the assembled hunters. Even one was considered a dire emergency. They were only held off successfully because of the wide time gap in which they attacked. There had never before been a case where two of them had approached in tandem. Compared to such a crisis, a Kushala Daora looked rather insignificant.

Raios, however, hadn't finished yet. "What also struck me suspicious was that several _hundred_ monsters - even species which normally don't get along - where moving together in the same direction: the volcanic belt."

Seid needed a second to grasp what Raios was saying. So far they only heard of there being more monsters, but now he was reporting that they were also acting out of character. Suddenly the whole situation seemed a lot more threatening than before when they could still predict what might happen. But now something unexplainable was taking place, which meant that they could be in for even more unpleasant surprises.

"I decided to return here and report rather than follow them, so I don't know what causes them to act this way."he concluded.

Temura watched the Royals for a few seconds, finding worry and confusion on several faces. Somehow Seid had a hunch that the news would only get worse.

* * *

Later on that same night Sigurd awoke, groaning. He felt tender and raw, every joint stiff and every nerve irritated. Valiantly ignoring the shooting pains of his body repairing itself, he got up and stumbled over to the chest. It took the remainder of the herbs that he had managed to pick the previous day to reduce the hideous pain to little more than a dull ache. It was a temporary solution however, they would only take the edge off, and he knew it. Satisfied that he at least wouldn't collapse, Sigurd sat in the sand and deliberated over his next course of action.

The Garuga was injured and be vulnerable while it was resting in its lair, making this an ideal time to attack. Then again, Sigurd himself wasn't exactly in the best of conditions either. His options were thus; Go through the jungle at night, find its lair and slay the wyvern while it was still weakened, or rest until he was at 100% and attempt it then.

The fact that wyverns seemed to have a ridiculous recuperation time bugged him though. In maybe two days time the Garuga would be back up to hunting capacity with little more than a limp, and the way the hunter had ached before he'd need a lot longer. Sigurd weighed his options carefully before standing and coming to a solid decision.

"It has to be now."

After briefly checking his equipment, he marched to where he had first encountered the wyvern. The beach side at night was dramatically different from when he had seen it in day. Flashbugs blinked lazily between the trees, waves lapped rhythmically on the shore, and full constellations of stars lit up the night sky. It was much more calm, one could even call it serene. The hunter took a moment to take in the sight before bringing himself back down to reality.

After he had completely evaded it the first time, Sigud noticed that it flew inland, supposedly toward its nest. Later on that night he had searched the island for the monsters lair to see if he could surprise it in it's sleep. However his search proved in vain; the surrounding jungle offered no telling marks of a wyvern nest, and he had refrained from climbing the waterfalls toward the center of the island lest he seriously injure himself.

"If I were a wyvern," the hunter mumbled to himself. "I'd want a place that's is only accessible by me. Since the Garuga flies, I can assume that it's in the direction of the falls. Maybe there's a cave somewhere..."

Holding to his theory, the hunter walked along the rocky wall adjacent to the beach until he noticed a moderately sized opening leading straight into the rock. Elated but still wary, the hunter stepped into the mouth of the cave.

After a while of navigating through the small cave system he finally came to the large lair of the Garuga. True to his assumption it was easily accessible by air, the giant hole in the rocks above shining starlight straight into the chamber. The only thing that could possibly menace it were a few Velociprey, not nearly a threat for such a formidable beast.

Directly beneath the opening the Garuga slept upright with its wings and head tucked into its chest. Sigurd smiled at his good luck and slowly drew his sword, approaching the beast cautiously. Taking care not to step on too many bones lest he wake the wyvern he circled around the side, planning to slit its wing and prevent the wyvern from escaping.

When he got within a few feet of the Garuga, the hunter accidentally tripped on a bone and fell onto his chest heavily with a loud _oof_! Immediately his eyes shot to the wyvern. It stirred slightly and shook its head but continued to slumber, still oblivious to his intrusion. Placing his palms on the ground he slowly lifted himself sparing a glance at the pile of bones he had fell into.

He froze. Staring straight at him was a skull.

A _human_ skull.

His stomach flip-flopped as he digested this new development. Incredulously he looked around and found himself staring at a sea of nearly all human bones that he had been too focused to notice. There were others before him! Or were these just unfortunate natives?

A glint in his peripheral vision caught his attention and he turned toward it. What he saw drained the blood from his face. As if they were kicked clumsily, a small pile of dented shields and broken swords littered a corner of the lair.

He looked around the walls of the cave numbly. Apparently some of them put up a fight if the large black spots on the walls were any indication, however some had not. Sigurd looked to the opening again and studied what he had originally mistook as ivy growing down the lip. Upon closer inspection it was a skeletal torso, missing its lower half, still clinging to the lip of the opening.

As he stared at the bones his initial horror hardened and congealed inside his chest. At first he couldn't identify the feeling until he noticed his white knuckle grip around his sword. It was rage. Pure uninhibited rage. His mind felt fuzzy and strange, like he was passing the controls of his body to something other than himself.

Next thing he knew Sigurd was striding toward the Garuga, crunching the bones of fallen hunters underfoot, no longer bothering to be subtle. The fury in his heart burned away all of his fatigue. He wasn't sure at what he was so furious at, the Garuga? Seid? Himself? All he knew was that he wanted to hurt something. No, he wanted to _kill_ something. Feel flesh beneath his blade and laugh as the blood splashed onto his face. His murderous rage was focused on the Garuga like a white hot spear, and he knew that he wasn't going to let this..._**monster**_ leave.

As soon as he was close enough Sigurd boldly stepped onto Garuga's tail and climbed onto its back. He was supremely unconcerned as the wyvern awoke slowly beneath him. He wanted it to be completely awake for this. As it stretched its wings wide open, the bloodthirsty hunter plunged his blade into the membranous material eliciting a startled and pained shriek.

With one hand on the wing he swung his feet over so that he was standing onto the membrane himself, weighing it down. Without a moments hesitation Sigurd slipped off the remainder of the wing onto the ground, tearing his blade all the way down. The result was as spectacular as it was bloody. The Garuga wailed and staggered back as the slit pieces of flesh fell slack, spouting volumes of blood in the air. A bit of it caught Sigurd across the face and he smiled a feral grin, baring his teeth.

The purple wyvern ceased his shrieking and turned to glare at him with absolute hatred. Smoke poured from its mouth, it rutted the ground and growled menacingly at him. Although the monster was only several feet from him he returned the deadly glare. Some small part of Sigurd's brain recognized that this was officially a fight to the death.

Tucking its now useless wing into its body, the Garuga roared and launched a fireball at him. But he was ready this time. He spun on his toes to the right, feeling the heat of the flaming projectile at his back as it roared past him. Before it struck the opposite wall Sigurd charged, seeking blood.

The wyvern turned and swiped with its tail at chest level. Just before it hit the hunter tucked his knees into his chest and jumped high into the air, the attack sweeping harmlessly under him. But the cunning Garuga had acquired another trick. In a smooth intentional action, the tail swiped back again in the _opposite direction_.

Sigurd had all the air driven from his lungs as the tail hit him broadside but somehow managed to keep hold. Taking advantage of his position the hunter savagely began to hack into the tail. Ignoring the earsplitting screeches he crushed the protective scales and dug into the meat of the monster in seconds, never once relenting. The monster tried in vain to fling him off and as soon the poison extremity came free. Sigurd sailed through the air to land on a rough roll, his trophy landing beside him.

Before he could get to his feet a fireball sailed over his head and exploded against the rocks. Sigurd didn't waste any time and began circling around to the beast intent on doing damage to the head. With an alarmed screech the Garuga blasted fireball after fireball, blowing bones and rocks into the air but always missing the sprinting assailant. It took Sigurd mere seconds to get close enough and he lunged through the air aiming his blade at the wyverns forehead. Faster than he could react the Garuga snatched him out of the air with its beak, clamping down onto his blade arm.

Now it was Sigurd's turn to scream. The serrated beak sawed viciously into his arm, holding him aloft and shaking him like a toy. The agony was unspeakable. His mind went hazy in an attempt to stall the hideous pain from making him go unconscious. The hunter could feel the monster cutting into the muscle of his arm, almost hitting bone. If it got to his bone it would take seconds for it to tear the limb completely free.

Fear, anger, and instinct guided his actions as he snatched his carving knife with his free hand and plunged it into the remaining eye of the wyvern, spraying him with gore. The monster opened its beak to scream and Sigurd almost fell free before it snapped shut once again. The Garuga wasn't going to let him go as long as it still drew breath. Gritting his teeth Sigurd stabbed repeatedly into the eye socket of the monster, only making it clench down harder.

"_WHY!_ _WONT!_ _YOU!_ _**DIE!**_" he screamed plunging his knife in deeper with every word.

Just before the monster could sever the bone he stabbed one last time, plunging the small knife inside until his forearm was completely enveloped. The wyvern froze. It stood aloft for several seconds then a final warm breath kissed Sigurd's injured arm. The wyvern toppled over releasing the hunter mid fall. He fell onto his back hard and somehow managed to stay conscious. A crash and a shower of bone told him all he needed to know about the fate of the wyvern. The Yian Garuga was finally dead.

Unable to muster the strength to sit up Sigurd looked at his mauled right arm. The muscle was clearly torn through in several places, at one point showing the white of bone through the profuse bleeding. He also winced at a wide cut in his side, and brought his hand to the wound. It came back bloody but also with a strange clear fluid that he couldn't identify. He brought it to his nose, sniffed once and recoiled. It smelled bitter and stung the insides of his nose. His mind flicked back to when the tail had swung back and groaned aloud at his recklessness. Apparently a part of the barbed tail had managed to cut him on the side when he grabbed onto it.

The hunter sighed in resignation and chuckled at himself a bit. The chuckle became a full blown laugh in minutes as he lay there bleeding to death. He had managed to kill the damn monster but it also got him in the end! The irony of the situation just made him laugh harder. He laughed and laughed until tears poured from his eyes and his wounds prevented him from laughing anymore.

"Well...done you old...bastard." he said between labored breaths.

From his position he could see directly into the opening from the ceiling. The stars shone down on him bathing him in their light. A peaceful smile formed slowly on his face as he slipped into blessed unconsciousness, away from the pain, away from the worries. Before he closed his eyes, he swore he could see something coming down the lip of the hole but cast it off as hallucinations from blood loss before slipping off into the darkness.

Two figures swiftly jumped down the lip of the opening and flew to the fallen hunter not a second after he lost consciousness. One quickly cradled his head and poured a liquid down his throat and the other watched intently. After the small bottle was empty it pressed its fingers to his neck. The hunters heartbeat thumped erratically for a few moments then slowed and became a consistent beat. The figure sighed with audible relief and looked to its companion, bringing out bandages from a small pack.

"He's going to be alright Kazu."

The scout nodded and looked toward the Garuga, surveying Sigurd's handiwork. He whistled loudly.

"Geez...He really wrecked this thing, Myra. Almost reminds me of when Teto did his initiation and took its eye out."

"We just barely saved him too."

"Yeah but this kid... he took a hit from the tail, took it off and somehow survived long enough to actually kill it. And he's supposed to be a gunner!"

"Its a miracle he's still alive." said the medic pausing from her work to stroke his face tenderly. "Well done."

"Yeah tell me about it. I'll bet he'll be pissed as hell when he sees Seid again. Where do you think he'll hit him?"

She giggled softly. "Probably in the face like you did."

"Well, it'll take us till about midday to get him and this thing on the ship, so lets get to it."

Myra nodded and lifted Sigurd gently, placing herself under his good arm. Kazu strode over and retrieved the severed tail, careful of the barbs. Together the two left the cave to get their comrade to the ship so that he could rest. They knew from personal experience that he would need it.

* * *

Temura broke the silence. "As unsettling as this news is, there is still another issue. The circumstances surrounding Ashvelt "Swordmage" Andere's death." He looked at Raios. "Please, if you would."

Raios nodded and took a deep breath before speaking. "Several weeks ago we didn't have a Royal to scout out the mountains near Pokke is because it should have been my mission. However, when I came to Kokoto on my way to Pokke, I learned that every contact to the village of Imant has been cut off. As you surely know, Imant is one of the very few settlements bordering the Dragon Lands. This struck me as odd seeing as Ashvelt Andere had been send to the region. I requested new orders from His Lordship Temura and, upon receiving them, traveled there to investigate instead of going to Pokke."

He paused for a while, slowly locking eyes everyone present. Seid was wondering what would come next, as was everyone else.

Raios' face became grim. "Imant is no more. The village has been completely destroyed. There were no survivors."

The news hit them like a punch in the face. Seid couldn't believe his ears. _A whole village, destroyed? Even though there were several seasoned hunters __**and**__ a Royal? How is that possible?_

Celia asked the question they all had on the tips of their tongues. "What in the world happened? What could do something like this? A Lao Shan Lung?"

Raios shook his head. "Impossible. There were no traces of a Lao anywhere near there. Also, they couldn't possibly reach the highlands Imant was built on. Most importantly, however, Imant had not simply been torn apart: It was actually reduced to ashes. There was absolutely nothing standing, even the trees were razed to the ground. Whatever caused this was not only able to burn down an entire village but also took out every hunter defending it, including one of our comrades."

Garland nervously scratched his chin at that. "What are you implying? An undiscovered Species? Something about as strong as a Lao Shan Lung, but able to use fire?"

Raios didn't have an answer to that, but in his stead Vindel spoke up. "It doesn't necessarily have to be a new species. I know at least one Monster that would fit this description." When he had everyone's attention, he looked Temura straight in the eyes and spoke a single terrible name. "Fatalis."

The Head Administrators eyes widened, and for a split second Seid could see fear in them. Then Temura glared at Vindel with barely contained rage. "This is no time for jokes, Vindel! We're trying to find a serious solution."

"Who said I was joking?" he replied. Seid shifted in his seat uneasily. He didn't like where this was going. It was commonly known that Head Administrator Temura hasn't been on a single hunt for fifteen years, ever since his father died. There were many who despised him for wasting such talent, and Vindel hardly made it a secret that he was one of them.

"We all know that you only managed to repel it. Fatalis is still alive, and it seems to have returned. One of the best hunters in the world has already been killed, along with an entire village." His expression hardened. "Tell me, Your Lordship..." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "...How are we supposed to face this threat? Since you are in no position to repeat your heroic deed, what are we to do? Surely you must have a plan for this. After all, you knew better than anyone else that the black dragon is still alive, _seeing as you spared it._"

Temura bolted to his feet, slamming his hands on his desk. "Silence, you fool! You have no idea what you're talking about! None at all! Spare it? It fled! And don't you dare address me in such an arrogant tone **ever** again. _You_ wouldn't have stood a chance against it!"

Vindel stood up as well. Seid mentally flinched when he thought about the confrontation that was about to ensue. Vindel had never shown much respect for Temura, but since he was his superior he mostly kept his opinion to himself. But now it looked as if he would finally speak his mind.

However he had no chance to say another word, for suddenly a blinding flash of red light exploded in the middle of the room, startling everyone present. Several of the Royals shouted in alarm, including Seid, who was completely caught of guard. Vindel flinched and fell back into his chair without even noticing it, his eyes wide open. Even Temura was speechless.

The glaring crimson light subsided, revealing three persons suddenly standing where it had been a moment ago. Seid's brain seemed to be doing somersaults but...he recognized these people. The tall man in the brown Kushala Daora armour was Ezakiel, whom he had met in Eden. The dark-skinned, black-clad woman was Zeshen, one of his friends. The third was...

Temura almost knocked over his chair as he exclaimed. "Reena?"

* * *

**Check out Ezakiel's story For the Living,which is being written in conjunction with BoB.**

**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. **


	7. Declaration of War

**Written on a lark with another hunter. I do not own Monster Hunter.**

* * *

Seid had to take a moment to collect himself as the red glare subsided. It was as if someone had thrown a flash bomb, and forgot to shout for cover. As the spots faded from his eyes, Seid took notice of three figures standing in the center of the large room. Although he clearly recognized Ezakiel and his friends Zeshen and Reena from Eden, his attention was immediately diverted to the drawn blades in their hands.

The Royal heard Vindel's sharp intake of breath as he also took notice of the weapons. Something seemed a little off though. The somewhat familiar longsword and steel twin blades were far too bulky for them to be assassins. Moreover they looked just as confused, if not more so, at their sudden appearance than the rest of the Royals. Ezakiel especially shot a bewildered look at Administrator Erris for some reason, who mirrored his expression.

After a tense moment the two older hunters lowered their blades hesitantly. All of the seated Royals seemed to let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. These people weren't here for violence. But before Seid could begin to wonder why the Head Administrators only daughter was keeping her guard up, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she dropped to the floor in a heap.

Temura was on his feet in an instant. "Reena!"

The Silver King was concerned for her as well, she seemed like a nice enough kid when he had met her. However the fact that the three of them had arrived out of _thin air,_ with no logical explanation in sight, kept him rooted in his seat. A minor detail did nag at him though. In Ezakiel's group...weren't there four of them before? Seid cast the thought aside as Temura lifted his daughter's limp body and rested it in his chair.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" asked Ezakiel.

Erris cleared her throat. "I could ask you the same."

Administrator Erris and Ezakiel were related? The Silver King's eyebrows rose at the revelation. He had heard her briefly mention having a son when he visited Pokke on occasion, and they _did_ have some similar features. But it still didn't explain him or his companions sudden appearance. Before the Royal could question the Administrator on this development, Temura turned on the two intruders with his full and imposing presence.

"What's going on here?" he growled menacingly.

Both hunters blinked and appeared to remember they had their weapons drawn. Hurriedly they sheathed their blades and knelt before Temura, crossing their right arms over their chests.

"M-my name is Ezakiel, and this is my companion Zeshen, sir. We were...on a hunt in the volcanic belt, together with your daughter..." The man paused for a moment and shook his head, as if in disbelief. He then gathered himself and finished. "We were chasing a wounded Basarios, when suddenly...suddenly Akantor appeared out of a lake of lava and devoured it."

The reaction was as silent as it was instant. Mouths all across the board opened and eyes widened at the bold claim. If this hunter was telling the truth, two of the most destructive monsters in all of Minegarde had resurfaced. Most of the other Royals couldn't help but wear the shock openly on their faces while others, namely Bagelza and Vindel, glared at the newcomers suspiciously. Temura managed to conceal his surprise better than most of the Royals, but before he could collect himself to reprimand the hunter, Ezakiel continued.

"We managed to escape into a cave, but discovered that it was actually some sort of passageway leading to the ruins of a giant city, hidden inside the mountain."

At this point, Seid was moving from shocked to skeptical. Akantor reappearing **and** finding a lost city in the volcanic belt? It seemed the other Royals mirrored his feelings, expressions of bewilderment changing into open suspicion. However fantastic their story may be though, it still did not explain how they had arrived so mysteriously. For that reason alone did they let him continue uninterrupted.

"We were assaulted by literally thousands of Remobras and had to hide inside the palace of that city. There we met a man who claimed to be the king of that realm." Ezakiel hesitated and slowly raised his head to meet Temura's eyes. "He said his name was Mordecai, sir."

Under any other circumstances anyone would've found the Head Administrators expression hilarious. His mouth opened and closed several times like a fish, as if the words couldn't find their way to his mouth. However comical the reaction, bringing up Temura's dead father was a grave blow. Seid could practically feel the Head Administrator's temper flaring from across the room.

"He told us that that realm was called Nofresc, an ancient kingdom that was engaged in a war with Shrade hundreds of years ago. Shrade had almost defeated them when a mysterious being he called "The Ancestor" descended and granted their king, Astot, godlike power and the ability to create warriors to fight back Shrade." He looked around once more, meeting eyes with everyone present. "All the monsters that exist today are descendants of those warriors. Nofresc is the very reason they exist."

Temura shook his head and glanced at his daughter before addressing the hunter angrily.

"But what happened? How did you get here? And why are you in such a state?"

Seid noticed Ezakiel wince slightly and look down at himself. Zeshen also ran her fingers lightly over one of the nastier bruises dotting her person. Both of their armor had seen better days. It looked as if they had been on the losing side of a war.

"After he was done talking, he tried to kill us. We stood no chance against him. He had almost defeated us, but we barely managed to disable him long enough to make our escape. We found a room with a circle of runes on the floor. When we stood inside that circle, Reena did...something, we were engulfed in red light and… well, here we are, sir."

Temura closed his eyes and for a second Seid thought he was going to arrest Ezakiel for disrupting a meeting of national importance. Surprisingly, he lifted his daughter gently and turned to the Royals.

"I hereby delay this Conference. We will meet again tomorrow morning." he then looked sharply at the kneeling hunters, snapped. "You two, come with me." and briskly strode to the large doors, with Liam at his heels. Ezakiel and Zeshen looked at each other and, after what seemed to be a silent conversation, followed as well.

The slamming door echoed throughout the room as the Royals sat in a stunned silence. After a minute Garland cleared his throat and spoke with the barest hint of a tremor in his voice.

"I believe we should all retire to our quarters to...reflect on what has just occurred."

"Yes, I think it would be best if we did." agreed Celia shakily rising. "We all have...much to think about."

Slowly the Royals filed out of the room and collectively headed down the hall without so much as a glance at each other, all wrapped up in their own thoughts. As he exited into the long hallway, Seid noticed Dante leaning on the wall a bit farther down in the opposite direction. He detached from the other Royals and walked briskly. His second met his eyes and matched his pace as he passed.

"Something happened." It wasn't posed as a question.

"..Yeah. Something definitely happened Dante." The Royal turned to look him in his eyes. "You were right."

* * *

Sigurd wiped his brow with his good hand and looked back at Kazu.

"What should I be looking for again?"

Kazu snorted awake and blinked several times before adjusting his grip on the rudder. Sigurd rolled his eyes. He had been dozing _again._ For the eleventh time if the injured hunter counted correctly. With the perpetually exhausted scout steering the small vessel, Sigurd couldn't help but wonder if they were ever going to get home...

"You'll know it when you see it." mumbled Kazu. "Just be patient."

Although Dragon Maw Island was just off the coast of Minegarde, it would still take at least half a day to get back to the mainland and an entire day to get to Dondruma. Myra had ordered him not to move much, but still put him on watch.

"You might be seriously injured," she had said. "But you can still help out."

The hunter glanced at the tightly bound Garuga corpse and grinned before bringing his attention back to the sea. From the front of the flat boat he had a wide view of the horizon. Not to mention the nice breeze that offset the baking sun above them. It was a clear blue day and Sigurd was, very literally, glad to be alive.

The hunters eyes trailed over the cocoon of bandages covering his right arm. The fact that he _was_ alive still amazed him. From the way Myra and Kazu had described the severity of his wounds, he shouldn't have made it through the night. But whatever Myra had given him, identified by her as 'an ancient family recipe', it had him expecting a full recovery in at least three days.

"We're almost there." Myra took a seat next to him and dipped her own feet in the rushing water. "Feeling any better?"

In response Sigurd turned to her so that she could see his slung arm and wiggled his exposed fingers. Half a day earlier he couldn't even feel his digits, much less move them.

"Perfect!" chirped Myra. "At this rate you'll be back on your feet in no time."

"I really can't thank you enough." he said sincerely. "When I first woke up I thought I was maimed for life. I don't know what I'd have done if I couldn't hunt anymore."

"Oh, you wouldn't have done anything."

"And why would that be?"

"Because you would've been dead." replied Myra, still smiling sweetly.

Sigurd blinked. "Uh...what?"

"That potion has about a..." She tilted her head and put a finger to her chin. "Fifty percent success rate? Forty? I can't remember. I do know that if it _didn't,_ work your body would have been robbed of its ability to heal and you would've bled to death."

Sigurd stared at her blankly for a moment before sighing. It figures that they'd use such an unstable tincture to heal him. From what he knew about the Dragon Fang already it was hardly a surprise.

"I...I figure I'll just be glad that I actually made it, but one thing still bugs me." the hunter looked at his injured arm and his tone turned bitter. "Why would Seid even send me to that island? What was the point?"

He could feel Myra shift beside him, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. Why would she be? What did she know that he didn't? Sigurd thought he was going to have to pry it out of her before the voice behind him spoke, devoid of its characteristic weariness.

"Usually Seid would tell you this after we get back, but I think it's best if you know beforehand." the Scout looked at Myra, who nodded at him. "You see, he wasn't born in the city or any of the typical settlements. Our leader was born and raised in a tribal village far to the northeast of Minegarde. At the time it was outside the jurisdiction of the Guild and maintained its own kind of primitive community. For the most part there were clear roles in the village; the males would go out to hunt and the females would remain at the village to tend to them when they returned."

"But their hunters weren't like our hunters." interjected Myra. "While we hunt to keep the monsters from killing us off, they hunted specifically for food."

"And they only hunted small game like Mosswines and Bullfango's." continued Kazu. "Maybe the occasional Velociprey, but never anything bigger than that. You see, they lived in the territory of a particularly rare and powerful monster that they worshiped like a God."

"A God!" exclaimed the injured hunter. " How could they possibly survive worshiping a monster?"

"They believed that their God, depicted as a silver winged angel, demanded a tribute." a grave look passed over Myra's face. "A blood tribute. Once every year someone was sacrificed to the God to ensure its continued protection and usher forth another year of peace. Seid was young, probably about your age, when he learned the truth."

The woman looked away from him, her long hair screening her face. The medic's voice cracked as she continued. "He told us that...that his...wife was chosen one year."

Every thought racing through Sigurd's head ground to a screeching halt. Unable to form a complete sentence he simply uttered "Wife?"

"The custom in the tribe," continued Kazu. "Was that the sacrifice be escorted by four hunters to the base of an enormous and ancient tower where the God was said to reside. Seid asked and was granted a chance to be one of the escorts. When they reached the tower, he said that he remembers feeling a sense of pride that his beloved would bring their people good fortune for another year. He told us that he took a moment to look at her, to catch her nervous smile."

Kazu sighed. "Not one second later the 'God' came roaring from the mists above, snatched her in its talons, and disappeared just as suddenly as it came. He told us that something inside him snapped when he heard his wife's terrified scream. So defying years of rigid tradition and tribal law, Seid ran into the forbidden tower."

Kazu and Myra shared a pained look before returning their attention to Sigurd. "He never told us what happened when he reached the summit of the tower. Nevertheless when he did manage to return to the village he was a changed man. Gone was his impression that the creature who had ripped his wife from him was a God. His people were outraged when they learned that he had entered their sacred tower. To make matters worse he tried to tell them that they were worshiping a false idol, that their God was actually a beast, a monster! Needless to say he was immediately exiled, to a mountain that they called Karat Gor...Translated from their native tongue it means 'Dragons Maw'."

The connections were starting to form in his mind and Sigurd didn't like where they were going.

"The way he describes it, Karat Gor was apparently a Rathalos and Rathian nesting and breeding ground. He was stuck there for six months with no weapons and no food, alone and completely surrounded by hostile wyverns. Coincidentally a party of Guild Hunters discovered him; half-feral and shouting in a language they didn't understand. Staying true to their oaths as Hunters they took him to the nearest village where he learned our language and our way of hunting. You can pretty much guess what happened from there."

"Then how does he manage to be so cheerful?" asked Sigurd remembering others who had vendettas against monsters. "Why isn't he bloodthirsty like Vindel or detached like Dante?"

"For a time he was savage and bloodthirsty as they come, rivaled only by how Vindel is now. But after several bloody years he began to realize that no matter how many monsters he slaughtered, it wouldn't change the past. Seid now chooses not to be angry over things that he cannot change. What has happened is already past and he chooses to focus on what he can do in the present. Besides, I believe that he has already come to terms with the 'God'."

Myra smiled gently but Sigurd could see a flinty coldness in her eyes "Before he became a Royal when the group was just Namel, Dante, Kanta and I, he accepted a contract for a hunt that he insisted to do alone. He wouldn't even tell us what his prey was." Her smile widened. "He returned several weeks later with the lacerated corpse of a rare Silver Rathalos."

Sigurd cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well...as tragic as that was...it still doesn't explain-"

"You felt it didn't you?" asked Kazu softly. "That primal strength born from fear and anger. Seid experienced it every day in Karat Gor. Constantly facing death gave him the ability to _use_ that strength whenever he wants. The trial is an attempt to recreate that situation. To make a hunter who can utilize the natural predator that resides in all humans by forcing them to look death in the face and deny it. It'll take time and practice to master but you have that ability now."

The injured hunter nodded to himself slowly, the pieces falling into place. It was true that even now he could feel it in his chest, the strength the kept him going even when the Garuga had him in its jaws. A familiar strength that he already had but didn't quite realize. He would have to work to control the blood lust that came with it, but he had trustworthy new friends to back him up. Sigurd smiled and clenched his good fist.

"I guess that means I'll get to punch him harder than I'd originally planned."

After a long second all three of the hunters burst into laughter. Sigurd's bruised ribs forced him to cut his mirth short and he glanced at the horizon after wiping the tears from his eyes. A long brown line extended as far as his eyes could see. He turned to Kazu and jerked his thumb at the growing line.

"Land ho."

* * *

By the time Seid had entered the conference room everyone was present except for Temura. When the door opened every head turned to look, and sighed in a rather disappointed manor as they realized who it was. Seid was too wrapped up in his own thoughts of the previous night to be offended. The usually optimistic Royal had large bags under his eyes, and seemed to carry a weight on his shoulders.

It had taken every inch of his friendship with Dante to keep the hunter from forcing Ezakiel to tell him the location of Nofresc. It had taken an even bigger effort to stop him from going off wandering the volcanic belt in search of it regardless. Seid's head still throbbed, hours after the exchange.

XxxxxxX

_"You cant stop me this time Seid! I know its alive now and I know where it was last seen!"_

_Dante paced as he spoke, twitching with agitation. His sword and a pack of provisions laid against a nearby wall. Seid leaned against the door of their home with his arms crossed, blocking the exit with his body. The message was clear enough._

_"Dante listen to me, please! From the way Temura handled that entire situation he will take action. I know it!"_

_"You cant be sure though! Temura's will to fight left years ago! What if he chooses to ignore that wild tale? What if he does nothing?"_

_"Then I will turn the Dragon Fang over to Sigurd and we'll stop this together."_

_Dante stopped in his tracks and slowly locked eyes with the Royal._

_"...What?"_

_"Look, something about what Ezakiel said...it felt like the pieces finally coming together. It felt **right**. If Temura chooses to take no action then we will go and stop this ourselves."_

_"But...you cant possibly...you don't even know if that boy survived."_

_Seid shrugged. "I have faith in him. Just like I have faith in Temura and the Guild. He wont ignore this threat. I'd bet my honor as a hunter on it."_

_The normally blank hunter grasped the back of a chair closest to him like he was going to shatter it with his bare hands. The wood groaned under his grip as he continued to apply pressure. Then slowly, he released the seat, straightened up and looked directly at his longtime companion._

_"I've been patient Seid. I've been so very patient. This has been killing me inside for the longest time, you know that. For the sake of our friendship I've stopped myself again and again from going and searching for Akantor on my own. Now that it's in my sight, now that its just within my grasp, you ask me to wait once again." The hunter got directly in his face, rage forcing his voice into a tight whisper. "If you're wrong this time, if Temura does nothing, I wont **need** you to help me stop this. We'll be through, understand?"_

_"He will."_

_Dante jerked away as if disgusted and snatched up his provisions before ascending to his quarters. After a minute the Royal slowly unfolded his arms and took a seat at the table. In the silence of the house, Seid held his head and sighed._

XxxxxxxX

The Silver King sat in his chair heavily and looked around. Plain seats had been set out at the crescent for Ezakiel and his companions, who looked a bit nervous, if not self-conscious. Ezakiel caught his eye for a moment and Seid managed a small smile and nod for his benefit. From the way he was shifting in his seat, the hunter was quite uncomfortable at being stared at rather unceremoniously by the other Royals.

Suddenly the door burst open and a loud, clear voice rang throughout the room.

"The esteemed Head Administrator and Champion of the Guild, Ashvelt "Windaxe" Temura!"

A large man in a steely silver set of armor marched in. It took a second for Seid to make the connection, and even then he didn't believe it. While he was too young to have seen the Head Administrator in his glory days, the Royal could see why he was held in such high esteem. Power practically radiated off the old lion as he made his way to his desk. In the back of his mind, Seid dimly realized that his mouth was hanging open.

"I'm glad to see that you have assembled on such short notice. Surely the events of yesterday must have surprised and confused you. I myself was just as startled at our guests sudden...appearance. Let me assure you now, without a doubt: Every word that they have spoken is honest and true. My father has somehow survived and now he controls all the monsters in an attempt to rid this world of mankind."

Someone cleared their throat and Seid internally groaned. Only only one person would have the gall.

"You cant possibly be serious." scoffed Iilo, crossing his arms. "Every word is honest? Then how about that magic stuff? How in all the world could that be true?"

In response Temura raised an arm. Instantly it burst into crimson flickering flames that didn't' seem to harm the man at all.

"Yet it is true." he said as the fire faded. "I inherited the same power, due to him being my father. He gained this power from the mad king Astot while he was still unborn."

If that wasn't magic then Seid was a pink Gypceros. Looking around, the Royal could see his comrades belief and intimidation.

"My fellow Royals, Administrator Erris, Reena and your friends…By the powers vested in me by the statutes of the Guild, I hereby declare war on Nofresc! I cannot and will not let our world be set ablaze by a madman and his army of beasts!" He glanced around the room for support. "Who is with me?"

The Royals looked at one another, trying to decide what to do. Declaring war was a deadly serious and grave action. Not since the founding days of the Guild had there been war, and now to ask for support after unveiling a practically scandalous ability? It was a lot to swallow in so short a time. Before anyone else had come to a solid decision, Vindel calmly lifted himself from his seat.

"I am."

Not one eyebrow went unraised in the room. Temura even gawked for a moment before recovering himself.

"Despite your previous words?" he asked. "While I thank you for your support I cant help but ask; what caused this change of heart?"

"There are three things that I detest, your Lordship. I hate boastful fools," Sandstorm said casting a distasteful glance at Iilo. "I loathe idiots," He glared at Rulk and Aroza. "and I despise hunters who waste their talents. At first you were in this category, sir, but your willingness to fight has bought you my support. And as unbelievable as your story may sound, does not obscure the fact that we are facing a very real threat. Thus I will fight."

Seid bolted to his feet and stifled a relieved sigh. "But not alone! Somebody's gotta thin those monster ranks, ya know? Count the Dragon Fang in!"

"I am at your service as well, sir." stated Garland, rising to salute. "As are the Guild Guards."

One by one the other royals stood and offered their support. Temura's stern composure cracked a bit and he allowed himself a small smile.

"Then its settled. We'll form groups to spread over Minegarde."

After a moment of thought, he continued. "Celia and Bagelza, both of you go to Kokoto. We have one or two veterans overseeing the newer hunters, so ground attacks shouldn't be a problem. However, the surrounding area is inhabited by fierce flying monsters. They should be an easy target for the two Royals most practiced in ranged attacks." Both of the female Royals nodded in approval.

"Iilo, I want you to go to Pokke." Indignantly, the young Royal snorted and turned his head. But the small smile on his face belied his true feelings. "Administrator Erris, I take it you'll return there too?"

"Yes." she confirmed. "My village needs me. Now more than ever."

"Good. You two will go together. Rulk, Aroza, go to Jumbo and provide assistance. I trust you both will cooperate and do what you can for them." The rivals regarded each other for a second, nodded then saluted to Temura. "Garland, Vindel and Seid, you will accompany me on my way to Nofresc."

"If I may request, Your Lordship," cut in Vindel. "I would prefer to go back to Eden. My people will need the guidance of their Elder. If I may be allowed, I will send Merquel in my stead."

"Fine by me. Garland, Seid, please use the time we need to prepare both your groups and any volunteers. I will speak to the king to ask for assistance." Temura locked eyes with everyone, and for a moment Seid could see the pride that made him such a great leader.

"Let us do as we must, so that we may all see a brighter tomorrow. For Minegarde! For ourselves! For the Guild! We go to war!"

* * *

**The plot thickens. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. **


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